Blue Sub No 6: Gaiden
by Bojack727
Summary: A new adventure for Dianna begins as she finds a lost fox hybrid, Cray, during her travels. The two of them set out to try and find his home, finding new friends and dangerous places and people. Is the truth at the end of the journey really what it seems?
1. Chapter 1: Lost

**BLUE SUB No. 6: "SIDE STORY"**

**Part I: Lost**

The water crashed against the sore line as a lone figure walked slowly along it. It was a quiet day and slightly overcast with a soft breeze. Dianna could hear the sand crunch beneath her boots as she walked along. Reddish-pink locks shifted slightly in the breeze as she moved.

She pulled her hat off and folded it up, sticking it into the pocket of her dark brown overcoat. The top button around her neck was open, showing her collarbone. She reached up, green fingers brushing vibrant locks out of her eyes.

She spotted something off in the distance and slowly made her way over to it. Once there, she realized that it was some kind of hybrid. He had reddish-brown fur with black hands and feet and a bushy tall with a black tip on it. His pointed ears were also black and his chest and underarms where white, along with parts of his face.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a fox." She remarked, kneeling down next to him. "Hmm," she thought as lifted up his chin, noting the strange blond hair that seemed out of place. "And a handsome one too." She smiled to herself.

She reached down and grabbed onto his shoulders and pulled him out of the surf and up onto the dry sand. She then turned and walked up to the where the dunes began and looked around. She took a telescope out of one of her coat pockets and looked around. "No villages around that I can see." She thought to herself and then looked back over her shoulder. "Now, where could you have come from?" She thought out loud.

**.o.o.o.**

Cray coughed and suddenly woke up, he looked around, realizing that he was sitting under a canopy on some beach. A small houseboat was moored nearby. He looked around then spotted a green skinned woman walking towards him. She was wearing a white shirt and gray pants with riding boots.

"I see you're awake at last?" She observed.

"Where am I?" He asked suddenly.

She smiled and sat down next to him. "Well, it seems my cute little fox, that you're lost."

He ran a hand through his hair, noting that it had come loose and was hanging messily down around his face. He also noticed that his pants were torn in several places as well. He looked over at Dianna, trying to notice that enough of the upper buttons on her shirt were open to give him a rather nice view.

"My name is Cray." He told her. "I'm from Alparda Village." He added.

Dianna smiled at her nervousness. "I'm sorry, but I don't know where that is." She replied, handing him a cup. "Here, drink this." She instructed him.

He took the cup. "Who are you?" He asked her.

"My name is Dianna Ainsley, I'm a traveler." She explained, introducing herself. "Though I doubt that you are." She pointed out.

"I'm lost." He replied wearily.

She nodded her head. "So it seems, but things aren't all bad, you're alive and that's something." She added.

She then stood up and stuck her hands in her pockets. "Do you know how you got here?"

"No, I can't remember what happened to me- the last thing I can recall was that I was working in the gulf, with the other fishermen."

"So, you're a fisherman then?" She asked, looking into the darkening horizon. She then snapped her fingers. "Ah-ha, I know what I can do," She announced. "Perhaps if I can check my charts, then I can get a fix on where you came from- and get you home."

She sat down again and smiled. "How's that sound?" She asked.

He looked over at her and smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good, thank you- Miss Ainsley."

"Call my Dianna." She corrected with a smile, putting a hand on his shoulder.

**(- End of Part I -)**

**.o.o.o.**

_Well, this is the first part of a little side story for Dianna. I'm not sure where it going to go for the moment, I want this to be more independant of the anime and more focused on the original characters. Some of the Toltec's characters may make some cameos later on, otherwise, this is basically pretty close to a totally orignal work._

_Also, I caught a showing of "The Lion King" at the Majestic Theatre in my home city of San Antonio. I don't think I would have chosen to see it, but the tickets were a gift, so I was happy to go watch it with my step-sister and her friend. The play is actually pretty cool and adds in a few new aspects to the story. Later,_

_-Bojack727_


	2. Chapter 2: Isn't Life Funny

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Part II:_ "Isn't Life Funny"_**

**.o.o.o.**

The evening had uneventfully come to a close after Dianna agreed to help the hybrid Cray try find his home.

The two of them sat out on the beach, looking up at the dark night sky. If studied, it could be distinguished that it was in fact not black- but dark blue. So dark in fact, that the only places where it could properly be seen where the spots faintly illuminated by the glow of distant stars.

Cray, now wearing a fresh pair of pants and a shirt given to him by Dianna, lifted up his bushy tail and tried to brush the sand out of it. He looked over at her, regarding her form for a moment.

A breeze passed through them, ruffling their hair, her long red-pink locks and his blond ones.

Dianna was an unusual female; she was tall and muscular and looked like she could be stronger than him. She looked dangerous, but there was something else about her, a gentleness that she let slip at times.

Cray knew it was foolish to be thinking this much about somewhat he had just met, but he couldn't help it. She was a female hybrid that acted like a man. He body language was masculine, but he new underneath the layers of clothing she wore that she was most definitely female.

She was a shrewd female, opinionated and clever. He also somehow knew that she was even more intelligent then she let on. He began to feel nervous and looked away.

"Thank you, for helping me like this."

Dianna looked over at him and smiled a characteristic toothy grin. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." She replied.

Cray leaned forward a bit. "But it is, you're going out of your way to help me and you barely even know me- you don't even know what kind of person I am." He implored to her.

Dianna smiled again. "Cray," she began. "When I look into your eyes- I can see that you're not a bad person, your eyes are too gentle." She told him. She then reached down and took his hand. "And besides, someone once helped me- showed my kindness when they didn't even know me." She paused. "So, by helping you, I'm helping myself as well."

"What do you mean?" The fox hybrid asked as the leaves on the nearby palm trees fluttered in the wind.

The green-skinned woman smiled wistfully at him. "It helps me to feel like the person I used to be, not the monster that I am." She admitted and looked away. She then stood up and looked out into the ocean.

Cray stood up and looked at her. He was taken back by her words. "I don't understand, you're not a monster!" He told her, walking up to her.

She smiled and looked out into the see. The water dark now, dark blue like the sky. "You know," she began. "It just seems to go on forever when you look at it." She remarked.

She tucked her hands in her pockets and looked over at him. The wind had ruffled his blond hair, and she could see herself reflected slightly in his blue eyes. "It really is a world of endless blue."

He shook his head resolutely. "I mean it, you're not a monster." Cray implored, looking straight into her eyes.

Dianna sighed. "You don't know what I used to be." She told him coldly. "And besides, you have a home to go back to- I'm a wonderer in this world." She explained. "I go wherever the current takes me."

Cray was silent. "Yes, you're right- I do have a home, some where out there." He pointed to the ocean. "But I don't know where it is- and I'm stuck out here, wondering as well." He explained.

"I suppose," she began, looking back up at the sky for a moment and then back at him. "That we're both lost now." She reasoned. She turned around and looked back out into the inky dark blue horizon as it blurred with the shimmering waters.

"There's a west-wind blowing tonight." She observed. "Could it be a portent of something to come."

Cray smiled. "It's the winds of change, but are you ready for them?"

She turned to face him, the wind at her back. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"The winds of change could be coming- maybe our destinies are riding on them." He reasoned.

The female hybrid smiled. "…'Our' destinies?" She asked. "You're certainly confident about this."

Cray reached out and took her hand. "Dianna, since I met you yesterday, I've had this feeling- there's something about you that makes me feel like I was supposed to meet you." He told.

She made no move to pull her hand away. "That's convenient- perhaps it's fate?" She asked jokingly.

"I'm serious about this!" He exclaimed. "My whole life, I felt like something was missing and now- suddenly- while I stand here with you, it's like I've recovered this missing part of my life."

"Life's funny isn't it?" Dianna asked. "I could decode the human genome with science, I could track the evolutionary path of Darwin's Finches- hell, and I could even explain why people like chocolate with science." She paused. "But science can't do a damn thing when it comes to this sort of thing."

"Dianna?" He asked her hesitantly.

"But it can't explain feelings." She added. "But then again, maybe it shouldn't." She finished.

The male hybrid shook his head. "I don't care who you –used- to be." He told her. "It's the person you are now that matters."

She became quiet and wiped her eyes. She then looked back up at him. "You shouldn't say things like that; you're making me fall for you." She told him, blushing an odd dark green color on her cheeks.

He walked over to her and took her hands. Dianna leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled to herself as her eyes teared up. She then looked up at him, meeting his gaze.

"Dianna?" He asked her tentatively.

She nodded. "It's alright, I want you to." She told him, looking his straight in the eyes with a penetrating gaze, her pink eyes meeting his blue ones. Dianna felt embarrassed as she realized that she could get lost in those eyes.

He smiled and cradled her cheek with one hand and leaned towards her. Softly, his lips brushed up against hers, first in a feather-soft touch, then after a while, more confidently.

A million things went through her mind as they kissed. She was a scientist, a mother, a different species at one point. Some part of her knew this was foolish and irrational, that she was getting into something she couldn't properly understand. And even that they were really just too different.

But, damn, it sure as hell felt nice to be kissing someone again. This was the kind of contact she hadn't had in years, and it was just too nice to stop. She also noted that the dull ache in her seemed to go away as she they kissed.

Then of course, there was the fact that the kiss was really good. To hell with logic- it could wait till morning.

That night, the sky never looked more perfect and blue…

**.o.o.o.**

_The first draft of the first chapter was not very good. Dianna was really out of character in it, I'm embarrassed when I think about it. But anyway, this story is a major depature from my usual style. I don't think I've written an entire chapter with just two characters in it in a couple of years. I know the first chapter of "Saga of the Dark World" just had Hiei and Kuwabara in it. And I also remember that the first two or three chapters of "If You'd Just Say You Love Me" only head Hayami and Mutio in them._

_But now, here I am writing a story that- so far- includes only two of my original characters. I'm beginning to realise that sepperating Dianna from the rest of the cast (from the previous two stories) is bringing out a lot in her character. This is really a story about Dianna starting things with a clean slate. Writing for her, I can see that she would have been holding a lot of emotions in, and she's only now letting them out. Cray is also coming along well as an original character- I like writing for him. He's got a certain naivite about him._

_There's no pretense between them, they're just two people wondering around in life- maybe for different reasons, but still they really do have a lot in common. I'm starting to feel pretty confident about this storyline now. I'll probably have them set out in search of Cray's home in the next chapter. The format of this story is also new for me- it's really a series of scenes linking together. It's going to be more self-contained with plots focusing around the characters._

_Well, I'll see you all around._

_-Bojack727_


	3. Chapter 3: Uncharted Waters

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Part III: "Uncharted Waters"**

**.o.o.o.**

For Dianna, the night had almost seemed like a blur. But what a blur it was, she hadn't felt so good in ages.

She recalled the sensation of their bodies making contact; she gripped his shoulders and cried out as he thrust into her. Kisses were exchanged as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Beads of sweat ran down her smooth skin as he hovered over her, never breaking eye-contact. In a flurry of ecstasy and emotion, he made one final thrust into her. She cried out, overwhelmed by pleasure.

He gripped her hands and arched his back at the pinnacle of their embrace, calling out her name. He then fell onto her, resting his head on her chest.

She wondered what she'd been missing for so long. She decided not to think it over too much. That might spoil the fun.

When morning came, she slipped out of bed, from under the sheets. She stood silently in the cabin on her boat. Cray was still asleep. She picked up a shirt and slipped in on, fastening a few buttons- wearing it much like a nightgown.

"You don't regret this do you?"

She turned and looked over at him with a smile. "Not a bit- though it does present a few things for me to consider." She began.

She sat down next to him. "How old are you?" She asked calmly.

Cray was silent for a moment. "I guess in human years, I'm about 20." He replied after a moment.

Dianna smiled inwardly, pleased with the notion that she had just had carnal relations with a younger male. "Alright, well tell me- how was it sleeping with an 'older woman'?" she asked mischievously.

She was not at all bashful about the way she presented herself. It was very alluring to have here sitting there in just a shirt, her hair mussed slightly.

Cray blushed and looked down. "Great… though, um," he paused. "You're the first woman I've been with." He admitted nervously.

Dianna smiled and crossed on leg over the other. "Me- I was your first!" She exclaimed with almost sadistic pride in her voice. This was even more enthralling for her, she hadn't been with a man in years, and she ended up being the first for someone else- who was also much younger then her. "So dirty, it's like a grown woman's dream." She thought to herself.

Cray seemed even more bashful now. "I- I'm sorry if I wasn't very good." He confessed to her. She had to admit that has really cute when he blushed like that.

Dianna arched her eyes at his words. She was taken back by this; it was strange to have a male acting so submissive and vulnerable around her. But then again, she was in uncharted waters with him.

She reached over and caressed his face. "Oh Cray, you were incredible." She replied sincerely, smiled happily.

He perked up at her words and looked over at her with an almost boyish smile. "Really?" He asked nervously, blushing as he spoke.

"Last night was fucking incredible!" She replied energetically. She stood back up and smiled at him. "I haven't been taken 'all the way' in a long time- let alone so many times." She told him with a shrewd smile.

She then climbed back in bed and looked him in the eyes. "You made me feel really good." She said, running a hand through his hair. She lurched forward and kissed him suddenly on the lips. She sighed as he returned the gesture.

She pulled back, her cheeks flushed. "Perhaps, you'd be 'up' for some more fun?" She asked, pulling him towards her. "I'd really like to get better acquainted with your body." She added in a husky tone.

She rubbed a certain spot on him and smile. She kissed him and pushed him back down.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna sat out on the deck of her boat, working on her lap top. Her boots were placed on the ground, next to the deckchair she was sitting on. Her suspenders were up over the shoulders of her white dress shirt.

She was bust checking her charts when she looked up to see Cray step out onto the deck. "Hi love." She spoke with a smile and then looked back at the small computer on her lap.

"What are you Doing, Dianna?" He asked, kneeling down next to her.

"I'm going through my maps of the area, trying to figure out which on of the islands in the area is the one you're from." She explained. "There's a chain of small islands around her, so it must be one of these." She added, pointing at a point on the screen.

"Do you know which one?" He asked.

Dianna shook her head. "Unfortunately, I can't get the data any more specific then that, so we might have to check out a few of them before we find yours."

Cray nodded.

Dianna looked over and him and ran a hand through his hair. "And in the meantime, it means we can spend some more time together." She added with a smile.

Cray smiled bashfully and laughed at her words. He reached up and took her hand in his. "We can take her time."

Dianna smiled back at him. "I think you're developing a sense of humor." She remarked and leaned over to kiss him on the lips.

She then looked back down at the map. "I think we'll start with this island."

**(- End of Part III -)**

**.o.o.o.**

_I like where this is going, and I'll try and come up with some good ideas for the next chapter. Let me all know what you guys thought of it._

-Bojack727


	4. Chapter 4: Into the Blue

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Part 4: "Into the Blue"**

**.o.o.o.**

Garr ran as fast as he could, through the jungle, trying to get to the coastline. He had to get as far away from the jungle as he could. The little boy felt, somehow, that it would be safer if he could get back to the boats that he and his family and the others had come in.

His small bare feet finally touched down on sand as he made his way out into the open. The sun shined down on him brightly as the ocean waters came into view. He turned abruptly and ran down the shore.

In the distance, he spotted the boats, but he noticed strangers standing by them. He panicked as he tried to figure out what to do. Then, one of them- a fox hybrid spotted him. The other, a strange green woman with red hair noticed him as well when the fox pointed to him.

Garr stumbled forward a few feet and fell onto his knees. His eyes welled up with tears as he collapsed from exhaustion. He could hear voiced calling out to him- probably the fox and the green lady. He lost consciousness after that.

Dianna raced over to where the child had fallen down and turned him onto his back. She looked down at him, quickly realizing that he was a hybrid. He was covered in dark brown-gray fur and gray fur on his hand, feet, the tip of his tail and his face. His short brown hair hung down around his ears.

She glanced at the dirty clothes he was wearing, a pair of hand-stitched pants and a tunic. She glanced down at a red spot on them. She picked him up and got back up onto her feet and turned to Cray. "…Blood."

**.o.o.o.**

A man sat down silently on a rock, out in a clearing in the jungle. It was now mid-day as he adjusted his straw hat and looked over to his side. O'Reilly glanced over at the other men as they rounded up the hybrids that they had caught the other day.

O'Reilly was an older man with thinning white hair and a tanned complexion. He had no facial hair and wore glasses. He had a pistol holstered on his belt, along with a machete and wore a vest with various bits equipment tucked in it. His pack and rifle were leaned against the rock he was sitting on.

He stood up and walked over to them. "How many do we have here, Ashcroft?" He asked one of the men.

"We have ten of them, sir." Ashcroft replied. He was a younger man, in his thirties with short blond hair and glasses. His sleeves were rolled up and his hands were covered by leather gloves. He also had a handgun on his belt, along with a knife and a rifle slung over his shoulder. He wore a pair of green pants and a tan vest over his shirt.

"Is that all of them?" O'Reilly asked dully as he took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, the light illuminated his face briefly under the shade of his hat.

The man shook his head apologetically. "I'm afraid not, sir." He began. "As we were corralling them, one of them got away."

O'Reilly's expression darkened somewhat. "I'm disappointed." He replied. "Have you done anything to rectify this little problem?" He asked calmly.

The younger man nodded. "Yes sir, I've sent Amaki to find him and bring him back."

"That's all well and good, but we need twelve, and our runaway out there only makes eleven." O'Reilly remarked. "Explain to me why the math doesn't add up." He instructed and he took off his glasses and looked sternly at his subordinate.

"T-there was a child with them too- he was the twelfth- but we lost sight of him some time during the ambush."

The older man nodded. "Right, just make sure that Amaki brings the adult creature back alive- we don't need it bringing in more of these animals in on top of us." He explained.

He took a drag from his cigarette. "As for the whelp, I'll handle him myself- I've found that children require a _gentler _hand." He added darkly.

Ashcroft nodded. "You always did have a way with children, sir." He replied bleakly.

O'Reilly just laughed at the statement and turned around to the rest of his men. "Duggins, Frist." He called out. "You two, keep on eye on those _things_!" He instructed the two men with a gesture at the hybrids that were huddled together, trembling. The two of them nodded.

The first man, dark skinned and slightly overweight, wore a camouflage hat and aviator glasses. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a white shirt with a gun tucked into a shoulder holster. The other man, fair skinned and with a shaved head, wore a barrette and matching tan trousers and jacket with combat boots. He had a gung-ho persona and a twitchy personality to match.

He then turned to another man, we was setting up a laptop computer. "Coulter, signal to the boat, tell Tamari that we'll be ready for pickup at dawn."

Coulter, who looked somewhat burned out, with a ponytail in the back and various segments of braided hair hanging on the shoulder of his jacket, nodded in reply and began sending the instruction through his computer.

Amidst the huddled figures, a hooded individual glanced off to the side, tense with apprehension. "Garr…?" A soft voice whispered.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna turned to Cray and handed the young boy to him. "Keep an eye on him; I'm going to go take a look around." She instructed him.

Cray fidgeted at the words. "But, we don't know what's going on- you could be walking into something." He implored.

Dianna shook her head. "Don't worry, I'll be careful, now get somewhere safe with him." She replied.

She then took her hat out of her pocket and put in on as she walked into the jungle. Cray nodded and watched her disappear in the lush organic foliage before him. He glanced down at the child he was holding.

Cray noticed something unusual about him…

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna made her way into the jungle, making sure stay in the same direction the whole time, she didn't want to get lost while she was there. After about ten minutes, she stopped. She thought she had heard something and glanced around.

She could hear the rustling of leaves and foliage in the distance and ducked behind a large tree a meters off from the path that she had been following.

"Shit!" Swore someone as the noise got closer.

Eventually, it sounded as if they were just about to pass her. She heard a loud crashing sound and peeked around her covering, brushing away leaves, and spotted two people struggling.

One of them was human- Asian, and had a gun slung over his shoulder as he struggled with another figure on the ground. The other figure was a hybrid- a wolf of some kind- and he was one the ground, struggling with the human.

Dianna came to a decision and quickly made her way over to where they were situated. The man slung his gun around and aimed it at the hybrid.

"Damnit, stop moving you dirty savage!" He exclaimed.

Just then, Dianna struck him across the back of the head and he fell off to the side, hit his head on a rock- his muscles jerking and pulling the trigger of the gun.

The shot echoed through the jungle like a cathedral. Dianna glanced down at the man briefly and then helped up the hybrid.

The human was dead- his skull was cracked in the back and Dianna could see blood pooling on the dirt.

**.o.o.o.**

O'Reilly and the others snapped to attention when the sound of a gunshot reached them. He dropped his cigarette and stood up.

"What the hell!" He exclaimed. He then gathered his thoughts.

He turned to his men. "Duggins, Frist- you two stay here." He told them. He then turned to Ashcroft. "You're going to come with me to meet up with Tamari."

"Sir?"

O'Reilly glared at him. "Think for a moment- Amaki knew damn well not shoot that darkie brute!" He exclaimed. "Something else is going on here, and I intent to find out."

The hybrid also looked over as well. One of them, who was sitting in the middle of the cluster glanced over and pulled down her hood, revealing a dark haired human woman with green eyes. "Oh Garr…"

O'Reilly loaded his rifle. He cocked it and hoisted it up. "Someone… or thing… is going to die tonight."

**(- End of Part 4 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

This chapter is a massive departure from the last three, and it style is very different. The first chapter and the last chapter (3rd) was an issue of not having enough material to fill a whole chapter. I really had to struggle to make it them long enough to have some depth- especially part 3.

However, this time, it was a struggle to fit a lot of information and storytelling and plot into one chapter. I was facing the problem of more story than I knew what to do with. I hope this chapter is entertaining for all of you.

A lot of thanks go out to **Carlos Angulo**, **QReaper**, and **Onigumo**.

Later,

-Bojack727


	5. Chapter 5: Kill Zone

O'Reilly and the others snapped to attention when the sound of a gunshot reached them. He dropped his cigarette and stood up.

"What the hell!" He exclaimed. He then gathered his thoughts.

He turned to his men. "Duggins, Frist- you two stay here." He told them. He then turned to Ashcroft. "You're going to come with me and get that animal back, go get Castillo."

"Sir?"

O'Reilly glared at him. "Think for a moment- Amaki knew damn well not shoot that darkie brute!" He exclaimed. "Something else is going on here, and I intent to find out."

The hybrid also looked over as well. One of them, who was sitting in the middle of the cluster glanced over and pulled down her hood, revealing a dark haired human woman with green eyes. "Oh Garr…"

O'Reilly loaded his rifle. He cocked it and hoisted it up. "Someone… or thing… is going to die tonight."

**.o.o.o.**

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Part 5: "Kill Zone"**

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and the hybrid both glared down at the now dead human laying before them. She kneeled down next to him and started digging through his things. "What's going on here?" She asked him.

The hybrid placed his hands and his hips and gasped for breath. "Humans… they came after us…" He managed to get out between gasps for air.

Dianna picked up his rifle and looked at it, then noticed his handgun and other equipment. "Is he some kind of hunter?" She asked.

"…yes, a huntsman." The Hybrid told her. "But we have to get going, there are more of them will come!" He exclaimed, grabbing her arm.

Dianna shook him off. "Wait!" She snapped back as she pulled something out of the man's pocket and quickly began rigging something. She took a small round object ran over to a tree. She jammed into the low fork in the branches and pulled a piece of it out. She then wrapped some wire around it and fixed around another small tree a few feet away.

"Quick! We can get the hell out of here now!" she exclaimed, grabbing his wrist and running away.

Three men made their way towards the spot. O'Reilly stopped and noticed the body laying there. "What the hell?" He remarked as Ashcroft glared at the body. He waved at Castillo to move forward.

The dark-skinned man took out his handgun and walked forward.

"Sir, it looks like Amaki- I think he's dead." He announced, proceeding towards the body with some caution.

It was at that moment that O'Reilly suddenly noticed something low on the ground. "Castillo, wait!" He tried to say, before the man's foot knocked a wire loose and something fell down on the ground with a faint clink.

There was an explosion, which knocked O'Reilly and Ashcroft down and flung Castillo off to the side.

Ashcroft coughed. "Oh my god, what just happened?"

O'Reilly frowned, dusting himself off. "The moron set off a tripwire." He replied coldly.

"A trap?" Ashcroft asked. He held his hand out, but O'Reilly brushed it away and got back onto his feet. "But these are just primitives."

"I know," He replied. "Someone must be helping them." He added. "That animal couldn't have put that together himself."

Ashcroft looked over to the side. "I think Castillo is dead as well…" He remarked. "Perhaps we should leave now?"

O'Reilly looked around and then back at him. "Two of my men are dead because of these things- I want to know what's going on…" He replied. "An outside party is helping them and this could be a threat to us as well." He added.

Ashcroft checked Amaki's body. "Sir, the trap was set with one of his grenades." He began. "Also, it looks like the body was searched because his weapons are all gone as well."

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and the Hybrid made it back to the coast; the faint sound of the explosion in the distance rang through the air.

"Cray!" She exclaimed as she rushed over to him.

The fox looked over at her. "The kid is in the boat, sleeping." He informed her. "What's going on here?" He asked, noting the other hybrid beside her. Dianna let go of the things she was holding under her arm.

Dianna crossed her arms. "Th- there are humans on this island... their armed with guns and explosives." She explained. "And from what I could gather from him," She paused, motioning towards the hybrid behind her. "They're hunting the hybrids and have most of them in captivity."

"But why would they do that?" Cray asked suddenly.

Dianna shook her head at him. "I think they're slavers… they must ketch the hybrids and sell them… beyond that, I'm not sure of the extent of their operation."

"I heard and explosion." Cray spoke.

"That? Well, I rigged up a little surprise to slow them down." She offered simply.

"They said they are going to sell us… like we're livestock." The hybrid put in. "They're monsters."

Dianna looked at him. "I sorry to say this, but to them- you probably are just like livestock." She explained. She then looked over at Cray. "Um, this is Kass." She began. "And Kass, this is Cray… my _companion._"

"Something has to be done; the others are still in danger!" Kass exclaimed.

"Others?" Cray asked.

"Yes, there are still ten of his people held captive now." Diann told him, taking off her hat and putting it in her coat pocket. She then removed her coat and handed it to Cray. "I have to do something about this." She added.

"But they're armed and we don't know how many of them there are." Cray implored.

Dianna undid her ascot and pulled it out of her collar and then unbuttoned her vest, both of which she handed to Cray. "I don't have a choice here, someone has to do something, and I've got the most experience with this sort of situation." She explained.

Dianna then kneeled down and picked up the things she had brought with her. She buckled the belt around her waist and took the handgun out to check it- then placed it back in the holster. She held up the rifle and pulled out the clip to look at it and then slid it back in and cocked the rifle.

She then set it down next to a satchel and looked over at Cray.

"You could get hurt… I- I don't want you getting hurt or…" He faltered in his words. "Y-you're important to me." He admitted.

Dianna kissed him softly on the lips, her smooth lips brushing against hid warm mouth. She had her eyes closed as she kidded him, resting her hands on his shoulders.

She pulled back and frowned. "I'm sorry, but what's going on here has to stop- this is nothing short of the blatant violation of a race's civil rights."

Cray nodded, suddenly understanding. "You really care about them- just like that?" He asked. "You're very brave." He added, accepting the situation.

Dianna picked up her things and turned to Kass. "You're going to have to take me to where the others are, can you do that?"

Nervously, he nodded in reply. "I'll do it- I have to try and help the others…"

"Wait," Cray began. "I don't know how important this is, but the child is not purely hybrid… one of his parents must be at least part human… if not totally."

**.o.o.o.**

The hybrids all sat silently in a circle. Amidst them, a young human woman looked down at the ground solemnly.

One of the younger males- with brown hair and eyes and lighter fur tone- glared down at the grass. "We can't just sit here like this." He whispered to one of the others.

"And what do you think we could do, Karro?" another one of them whispered back to him. He was older, with darker fur and gray eyes. "These humans have weapons that can kill us from afar- violence at this point would be get us killed."

Karro looked over at him. "Elding, I think that no matter what we do- we might be dead in the end… or worse."

O'Reilly and Ashcroft returned to the encampment. O'Reilly stepped forward as everyone watched him, even Coulter stopped and looked up at him.

"We have a situation on our hands here, people. Not only are two of the hybrids on the loose, but they seem be being aided by an outsider with some knowledge about combat." He explained.

Duggins and Frist watched silently. They'd been too preoccupied with their own conversation to listen to the hybrids talking.

"Amaki and Castillo are dead- killed by our mysterious stranger- Amaki had his had split open in the back and his weapons were gone. So, that could have been an accident, but Castillo was killed by a deliberate trap- a crude tripwire set up in anticipation of someone coming." He paused.

Ashcroft stood off to the side, listening solemnly.

"So, this person is smart enough to keep out of sight, and know how to use weapons, but I'm damn well not packing up and leaving… I want this problem eliminated now, before it gets out of control." He informed them. "This little terrorist of ours is not going to come out of this alive."

Coulter listened keenly from his spot on the ground, the screen of the laptop glowed dully in the light.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Kass made their way through the jungle; the ground seemed to slope upwards after a while. They came to a large river.

"This is too deep to ford." Kass told her. "If we go up the riverbed a ways, we'll get to a rocky area that goes up and over the water."

"Can you remember the way there?" Dianan asked him.

He nodded. "There's a waterfall that feeds the river at the point we need to get to, we can climb up that and then make our way across and then descend the other side." He explained at length.

"Alright." She nodded, and they began making their way. "Garr's mother- tell me about this." She instructed.

Kass nodded. "It's… a long story…"

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna pulled herself up onto the top of the rise. The surface was rocky and flat and there was a hole in the center. The sound of running water could be heard deep down in it.

"This must be linked to some sort of system of tunnels that the waterfall is fed through." Dianna observed, looking down into it. "It looks pretty deep."

"It's deep enough." Said an unfamiliar voice.

Dianna jerked around and saw a man holding a gun to Kass' head, his other hand twisting his arm behind his back. "Don't try anything missy." The man told her.

Dianna regarded him. He was tall and somewhat stocky. His hair was curly and graying on the sides. His wide jaw smiled at her as he spoke again. "So, you're the one that everyone is so concerned with?"

Dianna dropped the rifle and the satchel she was carrying and raised her hands.

The man hit Kass in the head with the butt his pistol and let go of him. He then put his boot on the hybrids back and raised it once again at Dianna. "No, I don't think you'll be trying anything funny." He added with a smile. "Or… he'll regret it." He remarked, pointing the gun down at Kass.

He then took out a walky-talky. "This is Millius, I've just caught our little trouble maker." He began. "Lock on to my tracker and get over here, I've also got the runaway as well."

He turned back and smiled at Dianna. "Well, you just made my day, do you know that?" He added, pointing the gun at her. He smiled and pressed it against one of her breasts. "I could just shoot you right now, do you know that?"

"Why not then, you could stop wasting my time if you did that." She snapped back, feeling the cold metal against her chest.

He pulled the gun back and frowned. "Sorry, but the boss wants you alive… for questioning."

Kass groaned, causing Millius to glance down at him briefly. Dianna took the opportunity to whip her leg up and crescent kick the gun out of his hand.

"Gagh!" He exclaimed and then leapt at Dianna, trying to subdue her. He swung at her, missing as she dodged and stepped back. "Goddamnit!" He exclaimed as he swung again.

Dianna sense her heel come up to the edge of the hole and stopped, only to get punched in the stomach. Gagging, she bent over and stumbled forward. Millius stepped forward and turned around to get behind her, grabbing her arm and pulled her back against him.

Dianna elbowed him in the ribs and turned around. The two grabbed onto each other's shoulders and struggled.

Kass looked on in horror as the two of them fell down the hole…

"NO!"

**(- End of Part 5 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Well, once again, I find myself writing in abundance. This is another chapter that passed the mark on length. There's no padding or filler in this. I really had to work pretty hard to condense this down into one chapter. As it is, this is over 2000 words.

I also realize that the focus of the story is changing. I had originally intended to just do some chapters about Dianna wondering around. I started writing this without much of an idea of were I was going. So the style sort of reflects this. Dianna was just wondering around in the original idea.

However, I realized that there was a lot of potential to be explored with this story. Dianna and Cray have a chance to really show the audience (and myself as well, to and extent) what the world is really like. I've decided to focus my energies on this story for time being. So, if you want anymore entertainment from me, you should give this a chance.

The success of this story may affect the rate at which the next part of the main storyline comes out. If I feel confident enough with this, I might return sooner to my main projects, or this might become the main project. I'm not sure at this point.

So, let me know what you all think about this, please.

Thank you,

-Bojack727


	6. Chapter 6: Dangerous Games

He pulled the gun back and frowned. "Sorry, but the boss wants you alive… for questioning."

Kass groaned, causing Millius to glance down at him briefly. Dianna took the opportunity to whip her leg up and crescent kick the gun out of his hand.

"Gagh!" He exclaimed and then leapt at Dianna, trying to subdue her. He swung at her, missing as she dodged and stepped back. "Goddamnit!" He exclaimed as he swung again.

Dianna sensed her heel come up to the edge of the hole and stopped, only to get punched in the stomach. Gagging, she bent over and stumbled forward. Millius stepped forward and turned around to get behind her, grabbing her arm and pulled her back against him.

Dianna elbowed him in the ribs and turned around. The two grabbed onto each other's shoulders and struggled.

Kass looked on in horror as the two of them fell down the hole…

"NO!"

**.o.o.o.**

**BLUE SUB: "GAIDEN"**

**Part 6: "Dangerous Games"**

**.o.o.o.**

"The time frame has changed, we're expediting the evacuation." O'Reilly began.

"Have Temari bring the boat around to meet us on the west side of the island." O'Reilly instructed Coulter. "Once we get rid of our little saboteur, we'll get the hell out of this forsaken mire."

Coulter nodded and began sending the instructions through his computer, which was hooked up to a small aerial receiver dish. "Right." He mumbled.

O'Reilly then approached the cluster of hybrids. "I want these creatures bound and ready for transport as soon as I give the order." He instructed Duggins and Frist. He then kneeled down and looked over at the human female among them with a dangerous grin. "I think my employers are going to be particularly interested with you." He began.

Karro cringed as he listened to O'Reilly speak to them, Elding placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head- as if saying "no".

"But they'll like that little brat of yours even more." He added with a dangerous tone.

The woman bolted up, tears forming in her eyes. "No, leave Garr alone!" She pleaded.

O'Reilly knocked her back down and leered at her. "Don't be stupid. That _thing_ is worth quite a lot to certain buyers…" He paused. "As an anthropological specimen, he's very fascinating, wouldn't you say… 'Miss Lani?'" He added sickly.

O'Reilly stepped back and smiled down at her while everyone watched. "But remember this- as valuable as he is alive, you can still do a full scientific autopsy when he's dead." The last words were punctuated by Coulter looked over at her with a smile and lifting up one of the tips of his braids.

O'Reilly went on. "So, the longer your little dark brother fucks around out there… the more inclined I am to take out my frustrations on others." He added, walking around them and glaring down at the hybrids.

He then turned to Ashcroft. "Go see what Millius has found, and take Coulter with you- he could use the exercise."

**.o.o.o.**

"Dianna!" Kass cried out, as held on arm up and stepped through the waterfall and into the caves. He called her name out again.

"Dianna?" He asked again.

Eventually, he spotted two forms in the darkness. He waded his way over to them, finding Dianna face down in the water and lifter her head up. "Are you all right?"

She coughed and spit out water from her mouth. Dianna got into a sitting position and looked down at her right leg. She hissed when she tried to move it. "I think I broke my leg…" She muttered to him as she reached down.

"The human, what happened to him?" Kass asked nervously.

She reached down and placed her hands on her lower leg and gritted her teeth as she bent the bones and muscles back into place. "Gagh!" She cried out. "Cracked his head open, he won't be bothering us anymore."

The hybrid nodded. "I brought your things." He announced, handing her the satchel and the rifle.

Before they could say anything else, movement was heard outside, in the distance.

"More of them are coming." Dianna spoke softly.

Kass looked over his shoulder and then back down at Dianna, then over his shoulder again. He stood up and turned to leave.

"Where the hell are you going?" Dianna demanded, starting to get up.

He motioned for her to stop. "I'm going to stall them, so you can get away."

"Are you crazy?"

He shook his head. "It's time for me to do something… to help myself." He explained. "If one of us doesn't delay them… then both of us will be caught. I'm going to do this." He told her and walked away.

Dianna could see the look in his eyes. She knew well enough that there was no way of dissuading him. She nodded and got onto her feet. She picked up her rifle and sighed in resignation.

**.o.o.o.**

Cray looked up at the sky. The day was getting on and the sun was slowly setting. He then looked down at the sand. He slight sound caught his attention.

He looked over to see Garr, standing there, looking at him. "What's wrong?" He asked, getting up and approaching him.

He glared at the jungle. "People are dying in there, aren't they?" He asked bluntly with a child-like candor. It was spoken almost like a statement rather than a question.

Cray- feeling that he could do nothing else but affirm the question- nodded. "Yes…"

Garr wiped his eyes. "I- it'd not fair." He blurted out. "W-why do they have to do this to us? We never did anything to them." He asked as tears ran down his cheeks, his eyes stinging as he spoke.

Cray kneeled down in front of him. "Garr?"

"My mom said that we all have to be good to one another, but the men with the guns are so evil." He whimpered, his ear drooping as he spoke. "I don't understand…"

Cray took a deep breath, trying to think of something. "Garr," he began. "Not all people are bad… it's just some of them." He explained. "One of the hard things in life is learning about this- but you have to be strong enough to realize that there are still good people in the world."

**.o.o.o.**

Ashcroft watched the display on the tracking device he was holding. "Millius should be just up ahead." He explained to Coulter.

The two men stepped out into an opening, before a large waterfall. Coulter glanced around for a moment. "Nice, good ambiance…" He mumbled with a smile. The braids and the chains on his jacket shook as he stepped forward.

"Wait." Ashcroft spoke. The two of them watched as Kass walked out into the open, through the cascading waterfall with his hands up.

The hybrid looked at them and kneeled down. "I surrender, j-just don't k-kill me!" He exclaimed.

"Shut up!" Ashcroft exclaimed and knocked him down. "Where's your accomplice?" He demanded.

Coulter looked around and then back at the waterfall and narrowed his eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kass blurted out.

"Don't lie to me, you filthy animal- where's the person who's been helping you!" The man demanded, kicking him in the side.

"She's gone. She went on without out me… I'm giving up because I don't want to get killed!" He exclaimed.

Coulter held up his hand and made a quieting sound. "There's something wrong here." He remarked. The other man, with his foot still on Kass, turned to look.

"He's lying; 'she' is close by." Coulter explained as he made his way towards the waterfall. "These hybrids are far too altruistic to do something like this." He explained. "If they just gave up their own this easily…"

"Well, I'd have a lot more of these scalps in my collection." He finished with a smile

With Ashcroft's attention drawn away, Kass reached into his tunic and pulled out a grenade. He pulled the pin and closed his eyes.

There was a loud explosion and Ashcroft was sent flying up off the ground and came face down, into the water.

Coulter turned around to see what had just happened, when Dianna emerged and struck him across the head with her rifle.

She stumbled forward, glancing down at the charred remains of Kass and Ashcroft and cringed. She pulled out a walky-talky from her pocked- that she had taken from Millius and turned it on.

**.o.o.o.**

O'Reilly glared at the remainder of his expedition. He heard his walky-talky beep and took it out of his pocked. "Yes?" He asked gruffly.

"_You must be O'Reilly." _A voice noted from the other end.

"Who is this?" He demanded.

"_My name is Dianna Ainsley… and I'm afraid to tell you that I've killed your men."_ The voice answered darkly.

O'Reilly grinned strangely. "Then I take it, you're the one who's been helping the escaped hybrids?"

"_Well, yes… Though I'm afraid that one of them is dead… too."_ Dianna added grimly from her end. (Looking over at the bodies.)

"Then it seems that there's no more reason to involve myself with you- the hybrids are dead." He paused. "Maybe I'll just leave and cut my losses." He replied.

"_I don't think you're going to do that, because we both know much the kid is worth- and you have the buyers…"_ She paused.

"_You'll come after me, because I know were he is, not that you wouldn't come for him anyway."_ Dianna waited a moment. _"Tell me if I got anything wrong?"_

"You seem to know a lot, but I think I'll tell you the rest when see you." He spoke, turning off the radio.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna glanced down at her leg and groaned. It would heel quickly, because of her genetic mutation, but it still hurt badly. Endorphins were helping somewhat, as well as the adrenaline running through her body.

"I'll crash soon, at this rate." She mumbled.

Then someone reached around and grabbed her from behind. She jerked as she recognized the camouflage sleeve of Coulter's arm. The man was practically on top of her and she could see blood running down the side of his face and he glared down at her.

She suddenly felt a stinging pain in here side and realized that he had driven a knife into her gut. She hissed in pain as her white shirt was stained red by her blood.

"I've got a really nasty headache now because of you." He told her as he held her and kept the knife planted firmly in her. "So I'm returning the favor!" He spat.

**.o.o.o.**

Cray sat in the warm sand on the beach, Garr was sleeping on his lap. He felt so powerless at the moment, wishing that he could have done more. But, he guessed, Dianna was probably more suited for this kind of situation.

He looked off to the side when he heard a faint humming in the distance. Without waking Garr, he shifted to looked off into the distance. It sounded like another boat was moving, the engine rumbling as it grew slowly closer to where he sat with the young boy.

**.o.o.o.**

"Duggins, get the others back to boat right now, Temari should be waiting for you on the coastline- do you understand." O'Reilly instructed him. "And if they give you the slightest hint of trouble, kill one of them." He added.

O'Reilly than grabbed Lani by the arm and pulled her aside. "Except for you," He began. "You're coming with me- to make sure that our little friend out there doesn't try anything funny." He went on. "Frist, restrain her and come with me."

The man nodded and took her by the arms and bound them behind her back, he then gripped the rope once he had her secure and bound.

Duggins nodded and began leading the other hybrids away while Lani watched them disappear with a terrible feeling of .

"And if she tries anything foolish… then your little bastard child is going to be an orphan!"

**(- End of Part 6 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Well, I took my time with this one. I keep finding myself surprised with how well this storyline is coming along. I like this episodic format- I think it works well in this case.

The morality of this storyline is finally beginning to come to the forefront. I think that I was able to address the ideas of right and wrong without it sounding too contrived our forced.

How does one explain evil to a child? Also, I can't just write O'Reilly as a bland character. I have to keep reminding myself that, in his mind, his actions would seem reasonable- he genuinely believe the hybrids are inferior and that he is doing nothing wrong. (Tip for writers: it's really good when you can create a villain that doesn't see himself as a villain.)

I'm probably going to have the philosophies of this story arc come to fruition in the conclusion- as it's important that the character's ideologies be clearly explained.

I hope you all enjoyed this. Let me know what you all though about it.

-Bojack727


	7. Chapter 7: To the Death

Author's Note: I recently did some work on the story and changed things around a bit; you'll probably need to check out the last two chapters for some of the characters to make more sense. I'll explain this more at the end.

**BLUE SUB: "GAIDEN"**

**Chapter 7: "To the Death"**

**.o.o.o.**

The atmosphere was tense, Lani knew enough about hunters to tell that the man- O'Reilly- was on a blood hunt. He would be insatiable in his pursuit of her son… her little Garr.

This man- this _Devil_- turned to one of his underlings and began barking out orders.

"Duggins, get the others back to boat right now, Temari should be waiting for you on the coastline- do you understand." O'Reilly instructed him bluntly. "And if they give you the slightest hint of trouble, kill one of them." He added.

"All you savage scum- listen to me now, the slightest hint of trouble will cost you dearly. I may desire money…" He began.

"But I am not to be trifled with!" He exclaimed. "This person out there, they will pay for the trouble they have caused me and so will any one of you who tries to be a hero!" He stared at them. "Your blood will be the price of your insolence, now go!"

But O'Reilly than grabbed Lani by the arm and pulled her aside, away from the others. "Except for you," He began. "You're coming with me- to make sure that our little friend out there doesn't try anything funny." He went on. "Frist, restrain her and come with me."

"Lani!" Exclaimed one of the male hybrids; a tall and slender one with dark hair and brown eyes and dressed in a green tunic and leather hide belt. He was jabbed in the stomach by Duggins.

"Get in line you mongrel!" He snapped.

"Arkis!" Lani cried out as she watched her husband being harmed, but the other man bound her wrists behind her back and bent her elbow to force her away. She clenched her teeth as she was led on by Frist.

"You- human- I don't think you'd be so brave without these weapons of yours!" Karro snapped, stepping forward.

"No, don't!" Elding spoke as Duggins pulled him back.

O'Reilly smiled. "You're quite the impertinent one- aren't you?" He began. "But you'll learn soon enough that some races lead while others serve." O'Reilly went on. "I'll enjoy beating that into you after this is over." He finished.

Duggins looked over at O'Reilly, nodding in understanding and began leading the other hybrids away while Lani watched them disappear with a terrible feeling of fear and doubt.

"Remember what I said," O'Reilly told her dangerously. "If you or my enemy try anything foolish… then your little bastard child is going to be an orphan!"

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna elbowed the man in the stomach, hard. She continued to strike him as he held onto her with a vice-like grip. She was in pain now and it stung badly, the blade was pretty fare into her side and she knew that there would be a lot of blood flowing, staining the white shirt crimson.

Reaching up and grabbing a hold of him by the neck, she hurled him over her and onto the ground in one fluid motion. She gritted her teeth and screamed as she pulled the knife out of her side.

Dianna then cleared her head and turned her attention back to her enemy as she threw the knife to the side. She pulled the gun at her side out of the holster and aimed it at him.

Coulter looked up at her as he lay in the water. Dianna narrowed her eyes as she stared at him down the barrel of the gun.

The casing exited the chamber as the bullet fired. In a secant, the man was dead. She glanced down, noticing her reflection in the water that was now streaked red by his their mutual blood. She cried out as she pulled the knife out. She picked up her things and began running away from the scene.

…

About twenty minutes later, O'Reilly and Frist arrived. The older man glared down at the bodies scattered around the area.

"She can't be too far from here- and she's wounded too." He added, noticing Coulter's bloody knife. It was a few feet off to the side, on the bank of the river, the blood half dried onto it.

Frist stepped forward, still holding Lani in restraints. He had a gun pointed against her back.

O'Reilly took out his rifle and turned the safety off. "I shall travel into the dark continents and seek out my destiny." He thought to himself and continued walking. Frist followed him with Lani in tow.

**.o.o.o.**

"We have to do something." Karro whispered to Elding as they were marched along a cleared path through the jungle.

"But that human- he'd just shoot you if you tried." Elding reasoned. "I just don't want to see anyone else die."

"Damnit, if we don't do something- then we're as good as dead." Karro replied with a glare. He then suddenly stopped in his tracks, gasped and fell over.

Duggins stopped and cringed. "Damnit, get up!" He called out. He tentatively made his way closer to where Karro had collapsed. "I said get back up, or I'll shoot you right now!"

Slowly, Karro rose back onto his feet and turned to look at Duggins. The human shook his head. "Right, now get back in line—" He was cut off when Karro head butted him in the face.

Duggins fell strait back and grasped at his face as blood ran from his nose. Karro picked up a rock and lifted it up over his head, held in his bound hands.

**.o.o.o.**

-CRACK-

O'Reilly's boot snapped the twig in half as he walked through the forest. He had picked up Dianna's trail and was rapidly catching up on her.

He stopped and turned to Frist. "You wait here, with her." He began. "I'm going on alone- to finish this once and for all." He told him.

"Yes sir." Frist replied.

…

Dianna waded through the marsh till she was able to get the other side and hid in the tall grass. She set her things down and began to catch her breath.

"He'll be here soon…" She thought to herself.

**.o.o.o.**

Karro looked down at the body of the human that he stood over. He reached down and removed the knife from the man's belt. After cutting his bonds, he turned to look at Elding and Arkis.

"I killed him…" He muttered. "I've never killed another before…"

Arkis took the knife from him and freed himself. "You did what had to be done." He explained. "If it wasn't for your courage, then we'd still be the trophies of these humans."

Karro nodded. "I guess you're right."

"Yes, you did." Arkis replied. He then turned to Elding and cut the roops around his wrists. "Now… it's time for me to do what I have to do." He told them. "Elding?"

"Yes Arkis?" The older hybrid asked.

"Get Karro and the others out of here." He replied simply.

"What about you, what are you going to do?" Elding asked with unease.

Arkis turned away and cripped the handle of the knife tighter. "The smell of one's mate… I could never forget Lani's scent…" He explained. "I'm going to get my wife back from the humans."

Arkis began walking back into the forest. "Get the others back to the coastline… I have a score to settle."

Karro bagan to take a step but Elding stopped him. "No, this is his battle now… and he alone must finish it."

Arkis walked quickly, smelling the air for familiar scents. It wasn't long before he picked up a fain trace of one- her's- in the distance. "Garr… Lani… I'm coming." He thought as he began running.

**.o.o.o.**

O'Reilly stopped when he spotted Dianna standing on the other side of the marsh. He walked forward a ways and stopped at the point where the murky water was just below his knees. He had his gun pointed at her as he looked on.

Countless emotions played across the older man's face- shock, anger, amusement. He finally collected his thoughts and spoke. "You… must be Ainsley?" He began. "I must say that I'm surprised to se that the _person_ that's caused me so much grief is just a female hybrid."

Dianna, who was unarmed and with her hands in plain sight, chuckled weekly. "Looks aren't everything." She replied. "For instance, the fact that you look human doesn;t hide that you're really a monster." She added coolly.

"I'd just like to know one thing before you kill me," Dianna paused. "Why? Why all this?" She asked.

O'Reilly smiled and shook his head. "Because I can- you may think that it's my fault that this has happened to those primitives… but what you don't realize is that the weak enslave themselves."

Dianna frowned mockingly at him, crooking her head slightly to the side. "That's it? That's your big revelation?" She asked. "Bafflegab! You can keep your crackerjack adages to yourself if that's the best you've got."

O'Reilly shook his head. "You disappoint me, I expected something more progressive from you- I thought you understood the survival instinct better." He replied.

"This whole thing, hunting the hybrids- a hunter like myself must strive for the next great level of his craft." He explained.

"You can only hunt the lowly beast for so long, before one grows tired of it- and I can think of no greater and sublime expression of the thrill of the hunt than the pursuit of prey that walks upright."

"But none of this matters, because I didn't come here to debate ethics with you- I came here to kill you." He finished, lifting his gun up. "Goodbye Ainsley."

"I never did care for Social Darwinism." Dianna answered defiantly. "And your philosophy stinks!" She finished with a smile.

O'Reilly pulled the trigger of his gun…

Dianna looked away as the man was consumed in a massive fireball. O'Reilly flailed about and staggered for a few moments as he was instantly set ablaze by the flames.

All the while, she watched him lumber a few steps forward- his form nothing more than a silloette amidst the flames- and then collapsed into the water.

"It's 'Doctor Ainsley'." Dianna declared with a smile.

Frist had never scene the attack coming, Arkis had run up to him and, in one move, swung the blade. He released Lani and the two of them made their way over to where Dianna stood.

"Is he dead?" Lani asked nervously while still holding onto her husband.

The female hybrid ran a hand through her hair and looked down and the charred corps floating in the water. She regarded the two of them. "Yeah… he's _done_."

"But what happened?" Lani asked.

"Sparks and marsh gass." Dianna mumbled. "His gun created a spark, wich set off the methane in the fumes… and well, you get the idea."

She became quiet for a moment. "I think there's someone you might want to see."

**.o.o.o.**

Cray looked up as Dianna appeared with a human woman and a male hybrid. "D-Dianna, are you all right?" He asked nervously.

She smiled as Garr woke up and ran over to Lani and Arkis. She walked over to Cray and put an arm around his shoulders. "Family reunion." She said simply.

Lani, who was carrying Garr in her arms, walked over to Dianna and Cray.

"Thank you, so much- I owe you so much for saving not just my son, but my people as well." She spoke, her eyes tearing up.

Dianna nodded. "Don't forget about Kass, he saved my life."

Arkis nodded. "No, we'll never forget him, nor you either- you've done so much for us." He replied. "I just wish there was some way we could return the favor."

The female hybrid smiled. "Make sure that you and your people get back home and go on with your lives." Dianna told him. "I don't think there will be anymore hunting expeditions coming here anymore, so you should all be safe."

"But what about the hunter's boat?" Cray asked.

Then, as if on cue, there was the sound of a large explosion in the distance.

"I don't think it's going to be a problem now… not after the bomb I stuck underneath it just went off."

"…but how?" Cray asked in confusion.

She smiled at him. "These gills on my neck aren't just here to make me look cute." She answered with a smile. "And as for you, Lani…" She began.

"You won't tell anyone about me, will you?" She asked nervously.

"No, Kass explained how you washed up on your people's island in the wreckage of a ship as a child. So, I don't think there would be any good in taking you away from your own people." She replied at length.

Dianna cleared her throat. "Now, I'm afraid that we really must be going on our way- my friend and I still have some exploring to do, isn't that right Cray?"

The fox hybrid nodded in agreement.

"I'll see you both around." Dianna spoke. "Take care of Garr and yourselves." She said with a smile.

Dianna and Cray began heading towards her boat, the woman's arm still around him. "What are going to do now?" He asked her.

Dianna smiled and looked at him. "Personally, I think I could really go for a nice relaxing holiday."

**(- End of Part 7 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Wow, I have to say that this was pretty hard to do. I've never really worked in this format before. I plotted this one out and made the decision to have the storyline be four chapters long. There's still more to do, but I'm strongly considering holding off the next major story arc for something lighter.

I wasn't able to use Cray too much in this one, and it wasn't till I was working on this chapter that I realized how pointless the hybrid characters had become. I actually went back in the chapters and fixed the problem (somewhat). You'll notice the addition (or rather the revealing) of a couple of new characters during this chapter.

Writing this, I realized that I had to wrap up all the plot threads and make sure that things were resolved. This was an exhausting task for me, keeping the continuity correct. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this and took something from it.

Later,

-Bojack727


	8. Chapter 8: In Dreams

I'd like to thank all the people who've taken the time to read and review this story as it's progressed. Special thanks go out to KuroKitsune-Chan, QReaper, and Carlos Angulo, along with everyone else.

-Bojack727

**.o.o.o.**

**BLUE SUB: "GAIDEN"**

**Part 8: In Dreams**

**.o.o.o.**

"Begin data check." Kimble instructed dully. The glow of the screen illuminated his pasty skin with a strange white glow.

"Commencing data check now…" The computer replied idly as it processed some sort of information. An irritating animation on the screen showed the computer working out its answer.

"Report findings." He told it, rubbing his face with his hands and groaning.

"Based on all know data…" The computer paused, unintentionally raising the tension. "findings are inconclusive." It answered him after a few moments of silence.

A young woman in a white uniform walked into the room and glanced over at Kimble. He was sitting in his chair, his jacket off and his suspenders loose. His brown hair was limp and he had lines under his eyes. He looked as if he'd been living on caffeine.

"Officer Kimble, is there any change in the project?" She asked in a clinical tone of voice, trying to mask her personal feeling of boredom.

He rotated his chair to the side and glared at her for a few moments, not bothering to lean forward. "No… this- this computer still can't come up with an answer!" He spat. "Science Officer Chase." He added after a moment, further driving the point.

"Then it seems we must continue to gather information- we cannot leave here until we have a definitive answer about the potential energy source on this island." The woman explained to him.

The man glared at her. She was short, with dark hair pulled up into a ponytail and had a pair of thin glasses resting on her nose. "More research!" He blurted out. "The longer we stay here, the more at risk we are!" He added. "This island is too dangerous- especially after what happened to Andrews and Fell."

Chase grimaces at the mention of the names. "We don't know yet what actually happened to them."

"Than you must really be a fool- because I know what happened to them, it's obvious!" He exclaimed. "This place, it took them!" He added in frustration.

"Nonsense!" Exclaimed another man, as he entered the room. "That's nothing more than a load of esoteric rubbish!" The man added. "Those primitives obviously took them as hostage."

Chase sighed. "Commander Todd, we have no reason to believe that the Fendra are responsible for this." She explained. "All the reports describe them as being totally harmless."

Todd bristled. He was an older man with wavy white hair and a mustache. He had a very patriarchal air about him, like a historic officer you might meet in India a few hundred years ago. He was wearing a tan uniform- well pressed and clean- further adding to the allusion.

"There aren't any other suspects Chase, so we must assume that it was them." He paused, considering the point.

"They'll give back Andrews and Fell when they're ready- if they want our hostages given back to them!" He added.

Todd then turned to Kimble. "As for you- you're a mess; I want to see you in a clean uniform on the double!" He instructed him.

Chase watched Kimble shamble off to get changed. "Commander, you're pushing him too hard."

Todd looked over at her. "Nonsense my dear, it's high time I took steps to make a man out of him- he's far too frail as it is, but I'll change that."

**.o.o.o.**

The shoreline was quite, except for the occasional sound of waves crashing against the sand. A pleasant breezed passed through the air, moving the bright green leaves of the palm trees. The sunlight reflected in the grains of white sand below the mid day sun.

This was utter serenity, nothing to ruin the perfect mood and atmosphere of the island. And, for two very special people, the pull of the island was too good to resist…

"It really is quite amazing." Dianna announced happily, tucking her hands in her trouser pockets. Her vest was unbuttoned and her sleeves were rolled up, the top most buttons of her shirt were undone and her ascot was tucked into her pocket.

"I've never felt so calm… so tranquil… so…" She murmured to herself, adjusting the brim of her brown felt fedora.

"_So at peace?"_ Cray offered. She looked over at him and smiled. The gentle breeze passed through his messy locks of brilliant blond hair and his eyes seemed to mirror the shimmering radiance of the ocean.

"Yes, I've never felt so at peace as I do now." She finished, walking over to him and placing her hands on his shoulders. Cray smiled as she brushed a few locks of hair out his eyes affectionately. He was wearing a pair of breached and a white sleeveless tunic (which they'd been given by the hybrids.)

He blushed faintly, as she looked down at his bare feet in the warm sand; the black fur matching his hands and the tips of his ears. "I don't think this is Alparda thought, I'm afraid." Dianna remarked with a disarming smile.

Cray smiled at her. "It's okay Dianna, I don't mind a detour." He replied with a tone that radiated a boyish charm.

Dianna took his hand and the two of them began to walk along the beach. "There's just so much positive energy here- It's wonderful." She beamed. "Let's stay for a while, I bet there are all kinds of wonderful things here." She spoke.

Cray intently watched her speak; his gaze watching the movements of her soft lips as she went on. "Maybe there's even a natural hot spring here."

Cray stopped, still holding onto her hand. "That's sound perfect." He replied with a smile.

Dianna looked at him and blushed. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. She returned the action by pressing her lips into his, deepening the kiss.

**.o.o.o.**

Commander Todd was keeping busy by doing pushups on the tile floor of the command room while Dr. Chase recorded information on the computer.

He hopped to his feet when Kimble wondered in. "Well, I'm glad to see you decided to join us." He remarked. He then looked at Kimble's slouched posture. "You call yourself an officer?" He asked loudly.

"I'm twice your age and I could run circles around you!" He announced in reproach. "Now go get ready for security duty- you're covering today's shift."

Kimble groaned. "Why- why must you always say that- we all know that I'm the only one left to do security- there's no point in telling me I'm the one!" He replied in frustration.

"On top everything else, you can't grasp the important of protocol- without it, we'd be just like those primitive Fendra out there!" He blustered.

A chart was posted on the wall, off to the side, the shifts were all filled with "Kimble" in the boxes.

"Now go get ready- I'm going to be doing reconnaissance today." Todd exclaimed with a huff.

"Right…" The man mumbled back at him.

"Kimble!"

The man stopped and forced a salute. "Yes sir!" He replied and then marched out of the room.

"Commander Todd," Chase began, approaching him. "The Fendra are not that primitive- in an anthropological sense."

Todd regarded her. "If they're so smart, than why don't they say anything to us?"

She shook her head. "They must be communicating non-verbally." She replied. "And I'm also worried about Kimble- I think that he's on the verge of a nervous breakdown." She implored to him.

Todd finished stretching and put his jacket on. He picked up his gun and holstered it. "Perhaps it's just what he needs- a little dose of reality might be just the thing for him. It might make a proper officer out of him."

**.o.o.o.**

Night soon fell on the island, and the faint sound of crickets chirping could be heard in the darkness.

Cray smiled to himself, as he lay in the tent, Dianna's nude form resting comfortably against him with her head on his furry chest. He ran hand through her mane of bright red hair and enjoyed the sound of her sighing.

They had gone for a walk and scouted the island out. Cray had watched Dianna gracefully dive into the water and return with fish to cook. The image of her- coming up from the water, her wet form glistening in the afternoon sun- still resonated with him.

The atmosphere around them seemed almost euphoric- and the two of them had made love that night. The experience of intimate physical contact with her was incredible for Cray.

He looked to the side and noticed small points of light shining on the outside of the tent. He grunted slightly as he tried to discern what it might be.

Radiant points of light glowed faintly through the veil of their tent, creating an eerie lightshow. But, just as quickly as the lights had appeared, they vanished.

Dianna looked up at him. "What's wrong dear?" She asked him, tracing a finger tip along the contours of his chest and then through the tuft of fur on his chest.

He glanced down at her. "I didn't mean to wake you, but it's—" He paused. "I thought I saw some lights outside the tent." He informed her as he turned his gaze back at her.

She smiled at him warmly. "Don't worry, it's probably just fireflies." She offered.

"…Fireflies?" He asked quizzically.

Dianna gazed at his inquisitive expression and smiled. "You're very cute, do you know that?" She asked, leaning forward to place a quick kiss on his lips. "It's a little bug that can glow at night." She explained briefly.

"Oh…" He murmured. "I guess that explains it."

**.o.o.o.**

A strange image of Dianna and Cray talking on the beach was visible in the upper reaches of the dark chamber.

A hand reached down and turned the page of a heavy looking book, complete with leather binding and gold leaf. "Hmm… how interesting."

"At long last, visitors have arrived. Finally, the next chapter can be written and the story will go on."

The words- almost a whisper- stopped at the voice paused.

"Let us see how much they will enjoy some of my craft…"

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna had her hair done up over her head in a loose knot while she washed Cray's hair. "I told you there'd be a hot spring here." She said softly as she pressed herself against his back. Her hands massaged his scalp as she cleaned his blond locks.

Cray blushed, feeling her breast against his back as they sat on the edge of the steamy hot spring. He gasped as he felt warm water pore down on him, washing the soap out of his hair.

The pulsating reflection of them in the water caught his attention. They looked so natural like that- the strange female encircling him from behind, her sleek green skin contrasting with his soft furry skin.

Dianna gave a small chuckle as she felt him tremble. "I'd better get your tail nice and clean too." She added and began brushing it.

The green woman smiled. "See, you're getting nice and clean and you smell good." She told him. "And when I get done with your cute tail you'll be perfect." She cued as she brushed the bushy fur of his red tail all the way to black tip, working out the tangles and matting.

Cray blushed. "Dianna, I'm a little embarrassed…" He muttered. She looked over his shoulder, noticing he was covering something with his hands, and smiled to herself.

"It's alright, I'm flattered." She told him softly. "It means a lot to know that I can make you feel like that." She explained, running her hands across his back and around his waist.

**.o.o.o.**

The old woman knelt on the ground, her staff resting against her side. Her pail gray eyes stared off into the distance. She was a hybrid- her fur grayed and her hair turned white and thin with age. She was dressed in heavy black robe with several strands of white beads hanging around her neck.

"Olsa?" Asked a female hybrid, who had approached her from the side. She was much younger, with short brown hair and darker fur green eyes. She wore a simple gray and green dress that came down past her knees and had sleeves laced up into the top. Her bare feet touched the ground.

"Tara, you have come at last. Your voice is welcome to the ears of an old blind woman." The old hybrid stated after a moment, still unmoving, with a faint smile on her face. Then, after a moment, she rose to her feet and held out one of her arms as she stared into the distance- her eyes unblinking.

"Take me back to the village now, my child… I have much to consider."

Tara took her arm and began carefully guiding her with great diligence. "If I may ask, are your thought about the ones that the prophesy speaks of?"

The old woman nodded. "I think so, but it is not this latest group of humans… someone else is here- like us, yet different." She explained. "She walks the line between two worlds."

Tara shook her head in confusion. "I'm afraid this all beyond me, Wise One." The two of them made their way through the dark forest.

Olsa shook her head in response. "It is beyond most- do not trouble yourself now, things shall become clear soon enough."

The two went on walking… 'Perhaps our deliverance is at hand.' Olsa thought silently.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Cray calmly walked along the path, back to their camp. "So, how do you like the clothing?" She asked him impishly.

Cray looked down again at the light blue kimono and dark blue-gray coat over it. "It's strange… where did you find these?" He asked.

"I picked them up before I set out, while I was still in Japan." She explained. "It's a neat place… this is some of their traditional clothing." She added. She was wearing a pink woman's kimono with a rose petal design on it.

"There's also good because you can hide all sorts of things in the sleeves." She added, holding an arm up. "Why, right now I—"

Dianna suddenly stopped and held up her arm in front of Cray. She looked down at spotted the remains of a strange looking jacket.

She walked over to it and picked it up. "…Andrews." She read from the name tag stitched onto it. "Something's going on here- there are other people here." She added, feeling the jacket and noting the tears in it.

"Are we in danger?" Cray asked.

She stood back up. "I… I'm not sure- I don't know enough yet to answer that." She replied and searched the jacket more thoroughly.

She pulled out a folded piece of paper from one of the pockets. "There's something written on this…" She observed.

"…_after Dianna and Cray searched the jacket, they came across a piece of paper…"_ She raid gravely.

"_Even as they unfolded it, it quickly became clear to them that something was going on…" _She paused. _"…Dianna could only gather that somehow, someone was toying with them. Yet she wondered what she would find next as she read on. It would seem that for…"_

Dianna paused and looked at Cray. _"…these two travelers, their journey had only just begun."_

She tucked the piece of paper in her kimono. "Someone is toying with us- we have to get back to the boat and get the hell out of here!" She exclaimed.

The two of them took off running.

**.o.o.o.**

"I think it's time we gave them something to make their parts in the story a little more fun." The figure spoke. "Perhaps a little good old fairytale would do them good…"

A hand reached over and picked up a book and turned the pages till the right spot was reached. The book was set down and the figure picked up quill and scrawled out something on a sheet of paper.

"Yes, some Perrault is just the thing they need."

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Cray ran past the camp and to the shore. They stopped dead in their tracks when they got there.

The boat was gone…

Cray looked down and picked up another sheet of paper. _"…as if by magic, the words that had been unknown to him became clear- Cray could understand the writing—"_

Dianna gasped and snatched the paper out of his hands and glared down at it. _"With the telltale sheet in her possession, Dianna realized that they would have no choice but to remain and venture into the wilderness… in the hopes that they might find some way out…"_

**(- End of Part 8 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Well, I think that was pretty different from your typical story. I'm very proud of this one and how it's going. I can't into too much detail on the plot, save to say that there is going to be a lot of interesting things coming up soon for Dianna and Cray, along with the rest of our cast. Also, this chapter was over 3000 words- I new reccord for me.

I've probably created a good deal of questions with this. I really put a lot of effort into a story that would challenge both me and readers. I hope you'll let me know what you think of it. Please, feel free to go into detail on what you think about. The more I can gather from your feedback, the better I can do.

Claen'tor Shat'kin'ara made some good points in his review. I'll admit that the last story might not have been stellar, but it was a chance for me to flex my creative muscles. Now I've been able to come up with something I feel is totally new… So, I'm going to dedicate this chapter to him.

-Bojack727


	9. Chapter 9: A Pleasant Fiction

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Part 9: "A Pleasant Fiction"**

**.o.o.o.**

Kimble walked into the room. He sat down and glanced at the two silent hybrids sitting in the detention cell a few feet from him. He frowned as he looked at them. "Why won't you speak to us?" He asked, though not really expecting an answer.

"You two must know what's really going on here, don't you?" He asked, pointing to a porthole in the compound. He waited for a while. "Damn you, speak!"

But they simply looked at him impassively with serene expressions on their faces. Both of them had long dark hair and heads bands, along with brown fur. They were somewhat cat-like in appearance.

Kimble got back onto his feet and picked up a hexagonal mirror and held it in his hand, glancing at his own reflection. He then set it down and turned back to them. "Well, you two will learn sooner or later that you'll never leave here until our people are returned to us." He informed them.

"And if they turn out to be dead," He paused. "Then both of you are going to pay the price for it." He finished, pointing a finger at them as they simply sat there, gazing at him innocently.

"Kimble!"

The man turned around as Chase walked in. "Are you threatening them?" she asked.

He went pale. "Don't tell me you've been taken in by their act?" He asked. He then motioned at them. "Don't be fooled by their ploy- they may seem harmless, but they're not!" He exclaimed.

"Kimble…?" She asked, holding out a hand.

He then turned to the window. "Can't you see it?" He asked nervously. "It's not just them, it's this whole place- it's after us!" He cried out.

"Get hold of yourself!" She snapped back. "Do you think I like it here either?" She asked in a low tone. "I can't stand the situation we're in either, but I'm just as trapped here as you are!" She added.

Kimble tensed up, before her. "You can't understand this like I do- I can see what's really happening here." He told her, point up at his eyes. "I can see the truth of all this!"

Chase crossed her arms. "Oh, and just what is the 'truth'- if you'd be so kind as to tell me." She asked, removing her glasses.

He became silent for a while and then looked at her darkly. "It's…" He began to say.

"Kimble!" Exclaimed Commander Todd as he entered the room. "You're on duty now, Officer." He remarked. "I expect you to follow instructions and not be loitering in the detention hull." He remarked, his arms crossed behind his back and his chest out as he spoke.

"Y-yes sir!" Kimble replied with a salute and ran off.

Todd then turned to Chase. "Well now, I have some news you might find interesting." He began. "Long range surveillance has picked up two new life forms on the island." He explained. "You might want to take a look at the data- you might find it interesting."

"Yes, of course, sir." She replied and left the room as well.

Now alone with the two hybrids, Todd turned and regarded them for a moment before leaving the room.

The two hybrids exchanged a glance and then resumed their inactivity.

**.o.o.o.**

"We're being played with." Dianna announced as she slipped on her dark brown coat and packed the rest of her things. "Someone doesn't want us leaving this island."

"But why?" Cray asked, as he stood beside her.

She looked over at him. "I have no idea…" Dianna confessed. "This entire ordeal is beyond me." She paused. "It's all so unreal."

She turned and faced the forests before them. "Perhaps…" She paused. "I had wondered what this strange atmosphere was… I think our recent feelings of euphoria and dreaminess have something to do with… but what?"

Cray ran a hand through his blond hair and shook his head. "But what are we going to do, we're trapped?" He asked.

"The only thing we can do," She replied. "Play along."

She then noticed something on one of the trees. It was another piece of paper. She walked over and pulled it off.

"… _ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do so, they may well provide dinner for a wolf. I say "wolf," but there are various kinds of wolves. There are also those who are charming, quiet, polite, unassuming, complacent, and sweet, who pursue young women at home and in the streets. And unfortunately, it is these gentle wolves who are the most dangerous ones of all."_

"This is from 'Little Red Riding Hood'…" Dianna said to herself and turned to look at Cray. She noticed that his gaze went past her.

"What are you looking at?" She asked and turned around.

Before them, stood a young girl- looking to be about 16 or 17, with a red hooded cloak on. She was clothed in a black skirt and white blouse with long sleeves. The ruffles of her petticoat could be distinguished peeking out around the fray of her skirt and her legs were covered with white leggings and she wore a pair of girl's academy-style shoes.

He brown hair and blue eyes were distinguishable beneath the hood as she looked at them intently with a strange smile.

"Oh my, I seem to be lost, might you two be able to help me find my grandmother?" she asked in a honey-sweet voice full of innocence.

Dianna and Cray exchanged glances.

**.o.o.o.**

"I'm going to go out in the Carrier Suit to investigate the strangers." Todd informed Chase as he put his helmet on.

"Do you really think that lumbering machine is absolutely necessary?" she asked, flustered as she spoke.

"Never you mind that," Todd told her. "Kimble will be in charge in my absence." He informed her and left.

She crossed her arms and looked around. "Now that I think about it, where is Kimble anyway?" She thought out loud. She began looking for him.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna wore a strange smile on her face as the young lady babbled on about her predicament. The green woman had pinched Cray earlier when he tried to interject.

"My poor old grandmother is sick and she lives close by in the woods, but I seem to have lost my way." She explained as Cray rubbed his arm.

Dianna took her hat off. "Tell me, what is you name?" She asked in a very friendly tone, leaning down a bit to be eye level with her.

The girl beamed at the question. "My given name is Rosemary Toulin- but everyone calls me Red because of my hood." She answered with a cute smile.

Dianna stood back up. "Well, Red," she began. "My name is Dianna Ainsley." She said with a slight bow. "And this young man," she began, motioning at the fox beside her. "Is Cray."

Red clapped her hands on her cheeks softly and smiled impishly. "Oh my, are you the Bid Bad Wolf that I was warned about?" She asked.

Cray was taken back by the question. "…I'm not a wolf, I'm a fox." He managed to answer.

Red looked at him and then lowered her hands. "Well, my mother said to never trust a wolf for they prey on young chaste girls when they are alone." She explained. "But she never said that I couldn't trust a fox." She added happily.

"Red, may I speak to my friend in private for a moment?" Dianna asked, putting her arm around his shoulder.

Red blushed. "Oh my, don't let me interrupt you and your consort, my lady." She answered with a devious little smile and skipped away to retrieve her basket.

Dianna blushed faintly and pulled Cray off to the side.

"Cray, I think we ought to go with her." Dianna whispered to him.

"But why, we could end up in greater danger." He reasoned.

"I think this is what we're meant to do- and besides…" She paused. "In the original story, red is eaten by the wolf… so I'm not very comfortable with letting her happily walk into her own death."

Cray nodded. "You're right, we should help her."

"It also might be to our advantage to steer things in a different direction; maybe that will have some effect on things."

Dianna and Cray turned around. "We've decided to help you find your grandmother's home." She announced to the girl.

Red smiled happily. "Oh thank you, both of you." She replied.

**.o.o.o.**

Kimble stared at the two prisoners intently, as if expecting them to say something.

"You can't be silent forever." He told them. "Sooner our later you'll have to speak." He picked up the mirror from earlier and looked at it. He then set it down next to him.

Suddenly, the two hybrids looked at it and stood up. Looking at their reflections on its surface they turned to Kimble and bowed before him.

The man wasn't sure about how to react to this, but a smile spread across his face. "Well now, what do we have here…?" He thought out loud.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Cray, now along with Red, made their way through the forest. Dianna walked up along side the young woman.

"Does any of this look familiar to you?" She asked gently.

The girl turned and smiled. "Well, this grove does look familiar; I remember there are some lovely flowers around here." She replied. "Perhaps the cottage is to the north." She added.

Dianna nodded and turned to Cray. After taking him off to the side, she began to speak. "How do you feel about all this?" She asked.

"Strange." Cray replied. "This whole place is starting to feel more and more like a dream." He added.

Dianna nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think I know what you're talking about… we'd better make sure we don't get trapped in this strange place for good."

"Hello? Are you two coming?" Red asked cheerfully.

The two of them turned around and smiled at her. "Of course," Dianna replied. "We were just trying to work out our bearings."

**.o.o.o.**

"hahaha… aren't we the clever one." The figure remarked to himself. "Perhaps it's time I changed things a bit… must keep you on your toes." He exclaimed.

He then looked at an image of Todd rolling through the woods in a strange robotic suit. "The Tin Soldier delves into my realm…" He observed. "Perhaps you too could do with a bit of an excursion as well…"

**.o.o.o.**

Olsa starred off into the distance, her unseeing eyes gazing into the darkness. "The wheel… it is turning…" She remarked.

She sat silently, away from the other hybrids, going about their day-to-day lives, blissfully unaware of what was going on around them.

The tribe- the Fendrah- were feline in appearance with varying shades of fur and hair. The males all wore their hair long with a headband on and dressed in long tribal kilts. They were bare-chested and wore strange symbols over their chest that hung from necklaces.

The females wore shorter skirts and simple tops over their chests, tied up in the back, they also had their hair long and wore similar necklaces.

Tara joined her, sitting beside her. "Have you seen anything more, elder?" She asked.

"The visions come and go, my child." She replied. "We must be weary of the times to come- these humans, they are different from us." She explained. "For them, to speak is not a sign of spiritual elevation."

"For them, it is common…"

"Then what of the others, the ones you spoke of earlier in the Place of Seeing?" Tara asked nervously.

Without looking at her, Olsa spoke. "The strange female and the male fox are entwined in the machinations of the Great Deceiver." She paused. "His webs of illusions spread throughout or land like a disease…"

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Cray walked slightly behind 'Red' as they went deeper into the forest. Dianna picked up a faint jingling sound from the short girl in front of them.

"Red, may I take a look at that locket of yours?" Dianna asked softly, moving up alongside her.

Red stopped and regarded the tall woman with calm eyes and then nodded. "Certainly," she replied and removed the small metal chain from around her neck. "Here it is." She added.

Dianna gingerly took the object from the girl's slender fingers and looked at it. Cray observed emotions subtly playing across her face.

Dianna could hide her true emotion from Red, but Cray was a bit more familiar with her range of expressions to know what she was truly thinking.

Dianna returned it to the girl. "It's lovely, thank you." She spoke.

Red put her necklace back on and turned to continued. "I'm going to go take a quick look up around the corner- we should almost be there by now."

Dianna grabbed Cray's hand. "Wait, we have to talk."

"What is it?" He asked her softly.

"That girl, she's real… not an illusion." Dianna informed him. "I don't know about the rest of this place… but she's the genuine article." She finished, taking something from one of her many pockets.

Dianna produced a small compass and opened it up. She watched as the arrow inside it spun around continuously. "Just as I thought, there's some kind of interference going on here." She remarked.

"If she's real, than what is she doing here?" Cray asked.

"Like us, she's trapped in this," Dianna answered. "She's playing a part in someone else' story… someone's taken her and is forcing her to live out a role in a children's tale." Dianna paused.

"Her real name is Janise Redfers." Dianna revealed. "That necklace I looked at was her identification tag for the ship she was on when she came here- probably some sort of colonial expedition."

"What can we do, then?" Cray asked uneasily.

"I'm not sure, but what really concerns me is the darker aspect of this." She replied.

Cray was taken back by her words. "It gets worse?"

Dianna nodded. "Popularly, the version of the story that people know was written by two authors known as the 'Brothers Grim'… but the original, darker version was written by George Perrault."

"I'm not sure where you're going with this…" Cray began to speak.

"I'm not finished," Dianna interrupted, taking his hand and pulled him closer. "It was based on a French folktale… but Perrault exorcised certain aspects from it." She paused.

"Red is eaten by the wolf in his version, but he downplayed horror and the symbolism of the story." Dianna explained. "The parts that didn't go down in writing indicated a darker, more sadistic story… a horror story of sorts told to children to keep them from wondering of the 'path'… so to speak."

"But there is an aspect that is even more specific to young girl… you see." Dianna stopped when she saw Red returning from around the bend. "Cray, I think it's time we saw this story to its proper climax."

**.o.o.o.**

"These damned regulations!" Chase complained as she went through the data once again in front of the computer. "A super advanced computer and all it can do is tell me 'data is inconclusive'?" She asked to no one in particular.

She crossed her arms. "It's nothing more than a load of officious dogma from the company!"

A light flashed off to the side and she pressed a button.

"Commander Todd here, I'm calling in to inform you that I'm closing in on the location of the strangers- as per company regulations."

Chase sighed inwardly. "Thank you, I'll inform Kimble."

Chase leaned back and returned to the computer, unaware that she was being watched…

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna looked at the small cottage, taking in the sight if of the rustic imagery. It was uncannily like how she imagined it would be. "It's getting dark…" She mused as she noticed an old lamp on an old stump near the door.

"Just a moment, I'll go check the door to see if we can go on in." Red replied cheerfully.

Dianna nodded, not really thinking, as she took out a box of matched from her pocket and lit the wick on the inside. She adjusted the knob on the outside till the flame was bright enough.

She turned to Cray, illuminating them both with an eerie yellow glow. "Hold this would you?" She asked, passing it to him.

She then turned back around and gasped. "Red!" She exclaimed and grabbed the girl, jerking her away from the open door. She easily held onto the girl as she struggled.

"What are you doing?!" She girl cried out. "I'm just going in to see my sick grandmother!"

The taller woman winced. "No, look!" She exclaimed. Both of them gazed ahead.

The three of them stood deathly silent as the door creaked open slowly, revealing the dark inner area. Cray stepped forward, beside the two of them.

A large, hairy foot stepped forward, and a strange wolf-like creature emerged. "You!" The creature exclaimed. "How dare you interfere with my meal?" It exclaimed. "It should eat all three of you!" The 'Big Bad Wolf' added; brandishing his claws as saliva dripped from his sharp teeth.

Dianna snatched the lantern from Cray's hand and let go of Red. "Eat this!" She exclaimed, throwing the lantern right at the creature.

The Big Bad Wolf cried out as its fur was set ablaze by the fire. It writhed around as it clawed at itself. Red screamed and turned away, clutching Dianna as she began to cry. Dianna held her as they watched the Wolf slowly tumble to the ground and collapse.

Red went limp in her arms, forcing Dianna to slowly ease her onto the ground. Dianna took her hat off and tried to fan away the smoke.

"Disgusting, the whole area is going to smell like burnt fur now." She complained. She then glanced up at Cray, who was keenly staring at the corpse.

"Is it dead?" He asked tentatively.

Dianna nodded. "Yes, I'd say he's very dead." She replied darkly.

Cray kneeled down next to her. "Dianna, what were you going to tell me earlier?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Dianna put her hat back on and then looked over at him. She took a deep breath…

"I've often heard that Little Red Riding Hood was a parable for girls coming of ages- specifically into their sexuality." She paused. "You can interpret the red hood as representing maidenhood… or purity." She spoke, touching the fabric of the hood.

"As long as she _has_ her 'hood', she's pure and innocent, but there comes a point when she has to walk an unfamiliar path, and is tempted to leave this path by the wolf." Dianna explained. "The path is womanhood…"

"The wolf represents the temptation of sex… in earlier versions of the story; the hood and the rest of her clothes get destroyed." Dianna explained, glancing at the wolf's body. "As a result of this, her purity… in this case a reflection of her virginity… is taken."

"How does she play into this?" Cray asked softly.

"I think something may have happened to this girl- she may have been abused, making her an easy target for these sick games we seem to be playing." Dianna reasoned.

"Perhaps her trauma manifested itself as this illusion… this 'fiction'." Dianna looked at him. "Traumas frequently take on external forms, perhaps the person creating all this choose this story because her illness would fuel it?"

"Dianna, what can we do now?" Cray asked.

"Keep going." Dianna replied.

Cray scooped the girl up into his arms as the two of them got to their feet.

"You're not going anywhere!"

They turned to see the wolf get back onto its feet. It reached up and tore the blackened skin off its face. Underneath, a face wrapped up in bloody bandages could be made out; only the eyes were visible through slits in the covering.

"You just had to go and ruin things! We had a nice little game going on here- she came here and I would eat her! But you've fucked it all up now!" He exclaimed as he tore more bits of smoldering fur and skin off. He was wearing a filthy looking jacket, ripped up and stained with blood.

Dianna and Cray stepped back several feet. She could just make out the word 'Fell' on the label of his jacket.

He held out a bandaged hand and an old gas-powered chainsaw appeared in it. The remains of the wolf exterior continued to fall away. "You couldn't let me have my little game… you had to go stick your noses were they didn't belong!"

He pulled the ripcord of the chainsaw and it began humming as the chains started to moved. The massive machine rumbled in his hands. "I was really starting to like all this, but I guess I'll have to find a new thrill." He added as he began walking towards them.

**(- End of Part 9 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Once again, special thanks go out to Claen'tor Shat'kin'ara, QReaper, The Toltec, and Carlos Angulo, and everyone else. Thanks for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. It's about 3600 words long. Drop me a review and let me know what you think about it.

-Bojack727


	10. Chapter 10: The Web of Illusions

I've never really tried to do something as complex as this before. Each chapter in this story arch has overflowed with material. Episodes 8 and 9 were both over 3000 words long. This chapter is also going to be pretty long too. I've decided to pull out all the stops for you guys… I hope you all enjoy it.

-Bojack727

**.o.o.o.**

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Episode 10: "The Web of Illusions"**

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Cray continued to step back as the crazed man before them readied the chainsaw in hands- the spinning blade more than capable of slicing through them in an instant.

With some reservation, Dianna turned to Cray. "Quickly, get out of here- get you and her somewhere safe!" She exclaimed.

Cray's eyes grew wide at her words, but he backed down, seeing the look in her eyes- the panic and doubt was there in abundance. "I- alright…" He replied weekly in acceptance.

Dianna then turned back around as the man began walking towards her, the dangerous machine in his hands humming menacingly as he advanced towards her.

He let out an inhuman scream, swinging the chainsaw at her and narrowly missing her head as she ducked out of the way. He grunted and swung wildly as she clambered away from him.

Her back came up against a post. She looked up, seeing that that it held up the awning of the front roof to the cottage. She remained still as she ran towards her…

Then, she stepped to the side and kicked the post, snapping it in two and bringing the sturdy wooden awning down on the lunatic.

She stepped away, drawing in frantic breaths and both the man and the chainsaw exploded forth from the rubble.

But, by that point, she had run around the back of the cottage. He began looking around and then made his way around the back. He spotted the shut door and drove the whirring blade through it and came smashing into the house.

Dianna plunged the large knife into his right shoulder from her vantage point on the side of the doorway.

He screamed, the chainsaw fell from his hands as he grabbed onto the handle of the knife. Dianna and taken it from the kitchen. He hissed as blood poured from the wound. By the time he pulled the knife out, Dianna was already in front of him, and swung the beef cleaver in her other hand right at him…

**.o.o.o.**

Cray ran with the young woman in his arms, suddenly coming to the entrance of the forest. He was briefly taken back- not expecting the find the start of the path so soon, but then ran through it.

He stepped into an open field. The sun shined brightly down on him, forcing him to squint his eyes. He carefully set the girl down in the grass and looked around. "Hello?" He called out.

"Can anybody hear me?!" He called out again and looked around. He spotted the edge of the Cliffside and walked up to it. He looked down saw waves crashing against the rocks below. There was a beach below that went on for what seemed like forever.

He then turned and spotted large stone tower in the distance.

"Ugh… where am I?"

Cray turned around and spotted the girl- no longer Red, but a woman who looked to be about 19 or 20 years old with brown hair. She was wearing a pair of gray overalls and a dark green long-sleeve shirt under it.

Cray walked over to her and looked at her. "I was wondering the same thing."

**.o.o.o.**

Commander Todd sped along in the carrier machine, slowing down as he came to the last known point of the strangers.

Olsa rested a hand on Tara's shoulder as they stood off to the side. "I think that it is time for him to shown the truth…" The older woman spoke.

Tara held a small wooden box in her hands. "Are you sure of this- he is not one of us, it may harm him." She replied.

Olsa nodded sternly. "Show him the Box of Jhana- if he is ready then it will do its work… we must try and sway things in our favor." She instructed her.

Tara nodded and left to approach Todd.

The older man turned to see the young female hybrid walk up to him, holding a box in her hands. She outstretched her arms, offering it to him.

He had begun to reach for his gun, but stopped. He tentatively regarded her. She was young and smiled an innocent smile at him. He didn't feel that she posed any threat to him.

He slowly reached out and took the box. He looked at it. "Do you want me to open this, young lady?" He asked carefully.

She nodded in affirmation with an innocent smile.

The Commander slowly undid the simple latch and opened the box. "…What… what's this supposed to be, I—" The box began to glow, and for some reason, Todd couldn't stop himself from gazing into the radiant white light coming from it.

Olsa stood by the side, silently waiting…

**.o.o.o.**

The smoke rolled along the rocky landscape in thick gray plumes, swirling everywhere. The silhouette of a single person could be seen as Dianna slowly stepped out of the haze and into the open.

She swung her hands around, trying to fan away the smoke. Everything looked so barren and lifeless.

"I see you are here at last."

She turned and saw a man standing in front of her. He was covered in a heavy black cloak and a cowl that came that covered his head. The cloak's lapels were flipped up and fanned to the sides from behind his head. His white face was the only thing visible.

It was then that she noticed something. Glancing down at herself and then around at the landscape, she looked back up at him. Everything was in shades of gray.

She smiled at him, finally recognizing the setting. "Very good, I like this- this whole _Seventh Seal _motif. It's very 'Ingmar Bergman' of you."

"We are without physical form; we can only borrow the forms of that from which the creator knows." The man replied.

"Well, there's no better way to get the attention of someone then with some classic German Surrealism." Dianna replied. "The only question now- is why?"

"You want to know why you are in this illusion?" The cloaked figure asked. "We brought you here to speak with you." He added.

Dianna frowned. "You keep saying 'we'… what do you mean?"

"We are the many that is the one." He replied. "Functioning in harmony as a single existence."

"Are you the ones responsible for this?" Dianna asked as the smoke rolled past them.

"One of us has done this, but the actions of the 'one' affect the many." He explained. "We are all part of the same existence."

"Separate aspects coming together to function as a single mass entity… so you're a gestalt?" She asked.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," He answered. "But in another sense- we are purely an abstract notion." He added. "But Creativity has left us- taking a new form in your reality." He explained.

"Why would one of the aspects of your collective leave?" Dianna asked, crossing her arms.

"Perhaps it was the arrival of the ones called 'humans'—he saw within them the ability for creative thought and imagination… and it made him envious." The figure explained.

"We have existed on this island since time en memoriam- the Fendrah are simple in their ways- they possess no pretence our greater desires." That is why nothing happened until the advent of the humans."

"Can't any of the rest of you do something?"

"We are formless, and if one of us becomes corporeal, then that one can influence the whole... we can exist as equals only when there is perfect balance." He added. "Creativity has gained the upper hand now."

"You are afflicted by the works of Creativity; he has entrapped you in all this." The stranger added.

"And what do you think that I can do in all this?" She replied bluntly.

"Unravel his webs of illusions- for they are his power. Their end will set all of us free."

"Can't you do anything to help?" She asked briskly.

"We are without shape; we cannot act- only observe and advise."

Dianna frowned and stepped forward. "Now wait just a moment! I don't know what's even going on here, I—"

"Perhaps we shall meet again, thought in what form I cannot say…" And with that, the stranger vanished.

Dianna became infuriated. "I don't even know where Cray and Janise are!" She exclaimed, clenching her fists.

She then looked around and noticed that she appeared to be back in reality. She looked over and spotted a strange machine. "I think it's time I paid these humans a visit."

**.o.o.o.**

"What you're telling me is that I was trapped in some sort of illusion?" Janise asked, seeing Cray nod. "And now, you and I are stuck in another one?"

"Yes, and I don't know where Dianna is, either." Cray admitted. "They only thing I could find was that." He added, pointing towards a tall tower in the distance.

"You seem to know about me," she began. "But who are you?" The girl asked him.

"My name is Cray, I'm a fisherman from the village of Alparda…" He replied, crossing his arms.

Janise stepped forward and looked up at it. "Can you hear singing?" she asked.

Cray stared at it for a while and nodded. "Yes, I can hear a voice singing… it's definitely coming from the tower." He replied.

"I guess those ears are good for something after all?" She remarked and took off running towards the tower.

"Hey, wait!" Cray exclaimed and chased after her.

It didn't take too long for them to get to the base of the tower. But they came to a stop when they began to look it over.

"I can't see anyway in." Janise remarked. "What about you, _Mr. Fox_?"

Cray came back from the other side of the tower. "My name is Cray, and no- I couldn't find anyway in either." He confessed.

Janise rubbed her chin. "This all seems so familiar… there's something about this all." She spoke. "A tower with no way in…"

"…and with only a window at the top." Cray added.

"Hey, wait a second… this is the tower from Rapunzel!" Janise exclaimed

"I'm afraid that I don't understand." Cray replied, looking off to the side.

Janise looked at him for a moment. "It's another story… There's a girl named Repunzel up there- she was trapped up there by a sorceress…" Janise explained, trying to recall as much as she could.

"As she grew up there, her hair grew out so long that it could be used as a rope for the sorceress to climb up." Janise paused. "Now at one point a prince heard her singing and climbed up and fell in love with her…"

"But how did he get up to the window?" Cray asked.

Janise glared at him accusingly. "…By using her hair as a rope!" She snapped back. "There was some sort of incantation to get her to let it down… but I can't remember what it is." She confessed, scratching her head.

"My, my, my, quite a little dilemma you have on your hands."

Janise jumped back and Cray sputtered as they spotted a tiny woman sitting on his shoulder. She glimmered and had a pair of translucent wings on her back.

"Such manners," The fairy pouted. "My name is Trink, and perhaps I can help you."

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna climbed into the carrier and examined the controls. "Well, this all seems pretty straight forward." She added. She pressed a button and the hatch came down over her. She then began working the controls.

Soon, the engine came to life, rumbling with power. She slowly pushed one of the levers forward and the machine lurched forward. "Alright, I have to keep a steady hand on this thing…" She told herself.

The Carrier began rumbling forward. She glanced over at a small display screen. "Let's see… the place where this came from must be the dome on the radar." She mused to herself. "I'd better get back there and tell them what's going on.

**.o.o.o.**

"I guess I shouldn't really be surprised at this point?" Janise asked the silver-haired fairy perched on Cray shoulder.

Trink straightened out her pink dress and crossed her legs. "Not really." She replied, twirling a few strands of Cray's blond hair around her fingers.

She then looked over at Cray and smiled impishly. "We observed you earlier on… and I must say that you and your lady friend were quite noisy inside that tent." She said with a smile.

Cray blanched at her words, blushing underneath his fur. "So that was you I saw?!" He exclaimed.

Janise shook her head. "How do you play into this- are you another illusion?"

Trink smiled, releasing Cray's hair and flew over in front of Janise's face. "Silly, I'm very real… thousands of years ago, my kind evolved from the insects on this island."

"H-how?" Janise asked, her eyes wide at the new tidbit of information offered by the tiny creature.

"Since the arrival of the _Nexus_, the entire island has been flooded with strange energy." She answered, landing on the girls head and sitting down Indian-style. "I'd guess that most of the life on this island was influenced in some way by the Nexus."

"What is the 'Nexus'?" Cray asked, still in awe of what was happening in front of him.

"The Nexus is… the Nexus." Trink replied. "Anyway," she inserted before either of them could protest her response. "I can help you."

The fairy looked over at the tower. "No door… always issues with a door… tell me, when is a door not a door?" She asked with a knowing smile, as if expecting the answer from them.

The two of them remained silent for a moment, thinking about the question put forth to them. Then suddenly, Janise snapped her fingers. "I've got it… a door is not a door… when it's… _ajar_!"

Cray looked down, noticing a glass jar in his hand with a note stuck in it. Trink covered her mouth and giggled.

"Well, I'd better be going- the Deceiver is bound to notice me soon." And with that, she vanished before their eyes.

Cray looked over at Janise, and then back down at the jar in his hand. He seemed to consider the situation for a moment and then finally decided to remove the lid.

He took it off and then slipped his hand inside it. He produced the piece of paper and set the jar down. Cray unfolded it and looked it over, he glanced back at Janise and smiled weakly. "I think… this is what you were talking about."

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna brought the Carrier to a halt and opened the hatch. She climbed out and looked around. She readily spotted the large dome before her. "Bingo." She thought.

She walked up to the entry point of the dome, only to have the large door slide open in front of her. She gazed down the small corridor and saw a light source coming from within.

She stepped inside. "Hello?" She uttered. "Is anyone here?" She asked, looking around. She walked over to a counter and glanced down at a file. She picked it up and flipped threw a few of the pages."

"Who are you?" A stern voice asked.

Dianna turned around as a serious looking woman in a white uniform stepped into the room. Dianna set the file back down and smiled at her. She took off her hat and placed a hand behind her head. "Well, I suppose that depends on who you are…" She replied after a moment.

The woman was clearly agitated by this. Frowning, she advanced further towards her. "I am Doctor Amanda Chase- Science Officer for this Expeditionary Survey Team, on behalf of the Pan-Oceanic Energy Consortium."

Dianna was silent for a moment. "Indeed," she replied with a nod. "I am Doctor Dianna Ainsley, Marine Biologist and Amateur Explorer." She replied in a dignified tone while never breaking her gaze on the woman.

Chase walked up to her and glared at her. "You must be one of the strangers on the Island that Commander Todd spoke of…"

"Yes, I imagine I am." She replied to the other woman's statement. "But there is something you might need to know about…"

Chase seemed to soften slightly. "In that case, where is Commander Todd?"

Dianna was silent, unsure of what to tell her. "Yes, about that… I didn't actually see him, I found that machine out there abandoned and piloted it back here by using the navigation system."

Chase went pale and looked away. "No… it can't be- the Commander is gone now as well…" She mumbled. "Now him as well…?"

Dianna placed a hand on her shoulder. "Have others of your party gone missing?"

The woman removed her glasses and looked at her. "There were six members of this Survey… Officer Burton vanished right away." Chase paused. "At the time, we had no idea of what exactly was on this island."

"Then what happened?" Dianna asked calmly.

"…A few weeks went by as we established this command post," she paused, waving a hand to motion at the structure they were in. "Under regulations, we began security sweeps of the island to establish a parameter… two more of our crew, Fell and Andrews vanished while doing this."

Dianna narrowed her eyes. "What, you're telling me that you just went about with your duties even after Burton went missing?" She asked. "You're still here now, after two more have vanished- three counting your Commander?"

Chase sighed and looked away. "I didn't want to be here from the start of this ordeal… but we're bound by contract to remain here till we can assess the potential energy source on this island." She explained.

"And Commander Todd believed that the Fendrah took the others, so he used that as further reason to stay here- even going so far as to take his own hostages."

Dianna stepped back. "I have some bad news for you…" She paused, reaching into her coat pocket and holding up a piece of material. "This is part of a jacket that my companion and I found."

Chase took the battered material and looked at it. Her eyes widened as she started to tremble. "…So Jackson is dead?" she asked in a quaking voice.

Dianna crossed her arms and leaned her shoulder against a wall. "At this point- given all the current facts, I'm afraid so…" She then looked over at Chase. "A greater power is work here- not the Fendrah- and it is threatening all of us, this entire island is encased is a series of powerful illusions."

"What on Earth do you mean?" Chase asked her, running a hand through her hair.

"We're being made the pawns in a very deadly game here… I've encountered a survivor from a previous ship that came here… in what seemed to be a recreation of a fairytale… _Little Red Riding Hood_."

"Are you being serious?" Chase asked indignantly. "I'm an intelligent woman- a scientist- you surely don't expect me to believe that you were trapped in 'Little Red Riding Hood'?!"

"I'm not asking you to believe me!" Dianna replied, snapping back around to face her. "Out there are two worlds, the one we know, and an elaborate creation of a malignant being!" Dianna added, getting right up in Chase's face.

"You were lured here as part of its game- it created what you wanted to find so you would come here… to become part of this damn thing!" Dianna added, pointing towards the door. "You might as well know that I met Fell out there as well!"

"What, is he alright?" Chase asked suddenly.

The taller woman paled. "No… he appeared to be knowingly playing a part in it."

Chase covered her mouth with her hand. "No, you're lying!"

Dianna grabbed her by the front of her shirt. "He was covered in dried blood and bandages all over…" Dianna spoke, snatching the bloody piece of material out of Chase's hand and holding it up to her.

"And he tried to kill me and my friend, as well as that pore girl who was in it with us!" Dianna finished and let go of her.

Chase stumbled back and glared at her. She then looked off to the side and walked over to a computer. She began pressing keys on it till a particular screen came on. "I'm checking Fell's psychological evaluation…" She explained.

Dianna walked over to her and looked over her shoulder at the screen. Part of the information stuck out to them both…

"…_the Patient shows signs of aggressive tendencies, coupled with underlying aspects of schizophrenia and paranoia…"_

"It seems your employers aren't so nice and neat as they want you to think." Dianna remarked to her.

Chase backed away, up against Dianna and then turned to look at her. "W-we have to get Kimble, he's the commanding officer now… he'll authorize the bypass of the procedures so we can get out of here."

Dianna nodded. "Can you pilot this thing?" she asked.

"I had no choice but to familiarize myself with the controls… after the others vanished… so I can probably get us out of here with his help."

Dianna shook her head. "Wait, go get Kimble and ready this ship- I still have to find the others before we can all get out of here."

"…Well now, that was quite an interesting little exchange you two just had- so full of information and intriguing tidbits."

Both of them turned around to see Kimble walk out into the room from the same doorway that Chase had come through.

He looked at them both and smiled. "But I'm afraid that none of us are going anywhere." He added, his arm coming from behind his back and training his gun on them. "As of now, this complex is under emergency lockdown."

Chase glared at him. "Are you crazy?!" She exclaimed. "We're all in danger here… and you have neither the authority nor the right to do this!"

Kimble smiled as the two Fendrah hostages emerged from around the corner and walked up behind him. Both of them had guns and were aiming at Dianna and chase. "NO!" Chase cried out as she backed away.

Kimble smiled maniacally at them. "I have the authority!" He exclaimed. "I have the power of life and death here!" He screamed.

**(- End of Part 10 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Just over 3800 words for your enjoyment… This chapter stretched out for eleven pages as I wrote it. I hope that find this latest chapter interesting.

-Bojack727


	11. Chapter 11: The Mouth of Madness

Sorry about the wait for this chapter. It took me a lot longer to get done with it, especially with finals creeping up on me. Oh well…

-Bojack727

**.o.o.o.**

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Part 11: "The Mouth of Madness"**

**.o.o.o.**

Janise took the folded piece of paper from Cray's hand and looked it over. She nodded in satisfaction. "This seems about right- I'm pretty sure this is what I remember being read." She offered.

"Are you sure?" Cray asked, looking at her seriously. "We don't know what would happen if something were to go wrong." He remarked. "This whole things seems to be set up to continuously put us in danger."

She shook her head. "No… I think it's more complicated then that… if whoever's behind this wanted us dead, they could probably come up with a much easier way of killing us."

"But, we've faced monsters and crazed lunatics." Cray announced. "I don't see any other reason to sending a madman with… that dangerous machine that hummed…"

"Cray, I think we're being put through some sort of test… for someone's amusement." Janise theorized.

Cray was silent for a moment. "Dianna did say that we were being toyed with."

"I think we don't have much choice other then to go along with this for the time being." The girl reasoned. "You'd better get going and read this." Janise replied, handing the paper to Cray.

"What- me?!" Cray exclaimed, holding his hands up and taking a step back. "Y-you're the one who knows about this stuff." He added.

Janise got in his face and frowned. "Listen, she's going to be expecting her heroic prince to come calling for her- that's a prince, as a in a man!" She snapped. "I don't see any other men around here, so you have to do it." She added.

He nodded. "Alright, I guess you have a point."

Janise nodded. "Thank you, I'm glad you're being reasonable about this." She added, still holding the paper out, offering it to him.

Cray took it after moment's reservation. He looked it over and then peered up at the open window high above them. "Well, here goes nothing…"

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna held an arm in front of Chase, protectively, and regarded the man. She assessed the situation. "It would seem you have things well in hand?" She asked in a disarming tone of voice.

Kimble smiled at her. "You- you're different, aren't you?" He asked. "Not like her- conniving behind my back, looking down on me?" He asked coolly, a razor sharp tone in his voice.

Dianna smiled and nodded, clasping her hands together in appeasement. "Perish the thought." She replied. "I can see that the strain of leadership must very hard on you." She replied, her body language changing as she spoke, becoming totally relaxed.

Kimble smiled at this. "You do understand." He replied. "I'm so glad to finally meet someone who appreciates my situation." He added, idly waving the tip of the gun around. "However, I'm going to have to place you two under arrest for the moment."

He paused. "I need time to orientate my new crew." He added, motioning at the two feline-creatures behind him. "After I've rapped up my loose ends, we can discuss things further."

Dianna pinched Chase on the arm before she could blurt out anything. The tall, green-skinned female smiled. "Please, don't rush yourself on our account, I only wish to offer my humble assistance in these troubling times."

The two of them were calmly led away by Kimble and the two Fendrah.

**.o.o.o.**

"RAPUNZEL, RAPUNZEL, LET DOWN YOUR HAIR, SO THAT I MAY CLIMB YOUR GOLDEN STAIR!"

Cray hollered up at the window while Janise waited silently. They remained there, breathless for a few more moments. He looked over at her. "Did I say it right?" he asked.

"Pretty much, yeah…" She answered. "It could have sounded a bit more _posh_ though, but I'm not nitpicking." She added with a smile.

"I don't really know much about you." Cray admitted.

The girl smiled and scratched her head. "Well, for starters- I'm was training as a chemist when I ended up here."

Cray looked at her incomprehensibly. "Do you mean you too are a scientist, like Dianna?" He asked, trying to clarify the statement.

She shook her head. "Not yet… I don't hold a doctorate or anything official like that right now, but I know some things that might just come in handy." She finished, tucking her hands into the pockets of her old jacket.

"Sorry." A voice called out from above. "I'll send it right down."

At this point, a rope-like length of blond hair dropped down between them. Cray and Janise exchanged confused glance between one another and then looked back up at the window.

"Well then, after you." Janise told him with a pat on the shoulder and a friendly smile.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Chase resided silently in a holding cell. In reality, the aforementioned "cell" consisted of four interlinking metal walls with diagonal intersecting grids. The walls rose up almost the ceiling of the room.

Chase sat against one of the walls with her knees pulled up to her, while Dianna lay on her back with her hat over her face and her hands resting on her stomach.

"I don't see how you can sleep at a time like this." Chase admonished her. "We're in grave danger here!"

"I'm not sleeping." The green-skinned woman corrected in a muffled voice from under the brown fedora covering her face. "I'm thinking- you, as a scientist- should be aware of the difference."

"Yes, that's as maybe, but we're still just a trapped are we were before you started."

"You worry too much." Dianna replied. "We're not in any really danger from Kimble- he's just crazy." She added. "Now, if you want to worry about something- it's the things at work outside that we should be worried about."

Chase frowned. "I'm afraid you're not really improving my mood with that."

A muffled sigh could be heard. "I wasn't consoling you, I was informing you- this bit with Kimble is just a facet of the real problem- the true threat lies beyond the walls of this dome, outside of the influence of your rules and your protocols and you tea times so on."

"So what are we going to do then?"

"We wait, we watch, and most importantly… we learn." Dianna replied, still from under the hat.

**.o.o.o.**

The door to the dome opened up and Commander Todd walked into the corridor. He glanced around and then made his way into the forward operations room. He glanced about tentatively, gently clutching the strange box in his hands.

"Hello, is anyone about?!" He asked calmly.

Kimble strolled into the room, flanked by the two Fendrah. "You're back?" He asked Todd.

The man smiled uncharacteristically. "Well of course my boy, I couldn't very well leave you all alone during such hard times." He added. He then smiled at the Fendrah

"Ah, I see you've made some new friends, good for you."

Kimble smiled and crossed arms behind his back. "More then that Commander, they're the newest addition to our crew." He added coolly.

Todd's smiled broadened. "Even better, we could do with some new faces around here."

Kimble regarded him. "I think you'd better come with me."

"Whatever you say, lad." He replied and was lead off by Kimble and the Fendrah males.

**.o.o.o.**

"So, they are foolish enough to move against me, even after all that I have done to them." The Figure remarked.

"This Doctor Ainsley is unlike anything I have ever encountered- she must be part of my story." He paused. "But she's too smart to walk into a trap- so I shall need bate." He added, looking at an image of Cray and Janise.

"Yes, I think that shall do quite nicely." He added with a laugh.

**.o.o.o.**

"We have to find a way out of here." Chase remarked.

"Now that's something that we can agree on- I need to find Cray and Janise to make sure they're alright." Dianna replied, taking the hat off her face and sitting up.

At that moment, the door slid open and Kimble lead Todd into the room.

"Commander?" Chase exclaimed as she saw him, but became still as she noticed the eerily vacant look on his face as he smiled at her.

"Ah, Chase, good to see you." He replied as the door was opened and he was gestured into the cell with them.

"And now, Dr. Ainsley, we can talk." Kimble spoke as the woman looked up at him.

Dianna smiled at him. "Wonderful, I was beginning to think you'd never ask." She replied cheerfully as Chase watched, appalled.

"And keep you waiting- the one person who understands me?" He asked with a smile in return. "I wouldn't dream of it- after all, we have much to discuss." He added, closing the door to the cell behind her and motioning her out of the room.

Dianna nodded. "I appreciate it; I know you're a busy man- so taking the time to listen to me means a lot to me."

The two of them left the room. Chase sighed and glanced over at Todd, who seemed to be a existing in a totally different reality of his own- starring off into space contently.

"I hope she has a plan, because otherwise we're done for."

**.o.o.o.**

Cray gripped the edge of the window sill and pulled himself up with both arms. He gasped as he pulled himself through the open window and collapsed onto the floor. He tried to slow his breathing down as he looked up.

He glanced up at the figure of a young woman in a white dress with blond hair that was braided into a massive ponytail- the very same one he had moments prior been using to ascend the outside of the tower.

He smiled weakly at her, regarding her gentle features and fair skin, quickly letting go of the thick braided length in his hand. "Sorry about that… I hope it didn't hurt too much." He apologized.

The woman shook her head. "It's nothing, everyone uses my hair." She added, watching him get back up on his feet and dust himself off. "However, I can see that you are not my prince."

Cray shook his head. "I'm afraid not." He replied. "Just another unfortunate soul in the middle of this."

Rapunzel rested her chin in her hand. "I don't suppose you're the Big Bad Wolf then?"

"Don't start this again!" Cray replied in exasperation. "Does this look like the tail of wolf?" He replied, holding up his bushy red tale, complete with a black tip.

She smiled at him. "No, sir, that is the tale of a Fox- like the creatures that the nobles hunt amongst countryside."

Cray gasped. "Fox hunting?" He asked in shock. "…Though I supposed I shouldn't be surprised at this point by anything!" He huffed, smoothing out the fur on his tale.

"No, you shouldn't." Janise inserted, struggling to get through the window.

Cray whirled around and ran over to the window. "You look you could use some help." He spoke with a smile, reaching down for her.

In a quick motion, he slipped hid hands under her arms and pulled her up through the window, over his head and set her smaller form down on the floor.

"That's better." Janise muttered, straightening her clothes out.

**.o.o.o.**

"You must know what's really going on out there?" Kimble asked Dianna uneasily. "You an I- we're the only one who can see it… right in front of us." He added, sitting down in a chair before here.

She opted to sit on the edge of the table beside her. "What's out there that worries you so much?" she asked.

"Everything- the whole place!" He replied. "This entire damned green world… all of it." He added. He leaned forward in his chair and looked at her seriously. "But the trees, they're the worst." He continued, his gaze flitting around as he spoke.

Dianna nodded. "That's makes sense- I can see now why you've had to do things you've done." She crossed her arms and smiled.

Kimble slumped back and smiled. "You see- you understand, finally someone who understands what I'm going through." He confessed. "It's so hard carrying this burden alone…" He paused. "You're different, you understand, don't you?"

The woman got back onto her feet and approached him. "Of course I do." She replied.

Kimble took her hands in his and smiled. "I knew I could count on you when the time comes… unlike Chase." He added darkly.

He looked away. "I must do something with her; I can't have her interfering anymore…" Then his eyes seemed to light up. "I could leave her to the trees…"

Dianna nodded. "That sounds like a good idea- leave her to the mercy of the trees." She agreed with a nod, hoping to steer things in this direction.

But Kimble became pale and pulled his head back, looking up at her. "No, I can't… they're merciless!"

**.o.o.o.**

"The question now is what the heck are we going to do now." Janise replied to the fox hybrid as the two of them stared at one another.

"Beyond scaling this damn tower, I don't really know what we're going to do." She admitted, crossing her arms and huffing self-consciously.

Suddenly, the two of them looked around and found themselves in a different setting. They seemed to be back in the forests where the ordeal had begun.

Cray looked at her for a moment and then stepped forward. "Well, what do we do now?" He asked, glancing around, trying to take in their surroundings. "Is this another illusion?"

The human girl looked around and reached over and ran her thumb across the surface of a large green leaf. "Well… this seems real enough."

He turned to her. "I hope you're right, I don't think I can take much more of these falsehoods."

"Oh, I assure you, this is all quite real."

Both of them stepped back at the reveal of the small creature hovering before them.

"Not again!" Cray exclaimed, noting the fairy floating in front of him. He squinted his eyes as the strange iridescence of the being shined before him.

"You, you're different then the last fairy we saw." Janise pointed out. "For starters, you're a male!" She added, noting the pale eyes and long silver hair. The fairy was dressed in a dark green tunic and boots.

"I've never heard of male fairies in the stories." Janise remarked dryly to the mythical thing before her eyes.

He smiled at her cockily. "I should think that male fairies should be a totally normal concept- I mean, after all, where do you think little fairies come from?" He asked pointedly.

The girl blanched and her cheeks stained a faint pink color at the revelation. "I- I- I hadn't thought about it like that…" she confessed.

Cray finally chimed in. "Excuse me, but you haven't even told us who you are or why you're here."

The fairy fluttered over to him. "A good point, my name is Tess, and I'm here to _direct_ you to the next point in this ordeal." He paused. "If you'll indulge me, then you'll discover that some of the answers you have been looking for are just beyond that clearing." He added, pointing off into the distance.

Cray and Janise exchanged and glance and looked off into the direction that he had gestured to.

**.o.o.o.**

"I need to make sure that are being truthful." Kimble mumbled as he looked around. "I need a gesture of good faith…" He added.

He motioned towards a medium sized wooden box. "I want you to take this back to the holding cell…" He paused. "And open it." He finished with a smile as he turned back to Dianna.

She watched him as he lifted up the box and held it out to her with both hands. "Alright, I'll do it." She nodded and accepted the object, holding it firmly in her hands.

Kimble smiled at her, their eyes locking at he did. "Good, I'm glad… after you've done this, I can truly trust you."

She gave him a toothy grin and nodded slightly.

**.o.o.o.**

Janise and Cray and ran out into the clearing and came to halt. Two feline hybrids stood before them. One of them was young with dark hair and eyes, while the other was older with long white hair and pale eyes.

The older one spoke. "You have returned from the web of lies created by the Deceiver." She explained.

"Who are you?" Janise exclaimed.

"I am Olsa." The old one spoke. She then motioned towards the younger female. "And this is my acolyte Tara."

The younger female nodded. "We are Fendrah, inhabitants of this island."

"Like you, and all the others, we are trapped in this _Land of Fiction_." The older one explained to them. "It feeds on all of us, growing like a cancer." Her pale, unblinking eyes glared at them.

"Can you help us?" Janise asked. "We just want to escape from here." She added, looking at the two of them.

"There can be no escape," Tara, the younger of the two, replied. "Till the balance has been restored- nothing can change."

Cray stepped forward. "What do you mean by the 'balance'?" He asked the two of them.

Olsa turned to him, no so much looking at him, but rather looking beyond him, deeper- into something else. "You are Cray, are you not?" she asked.

"Yes, how did you know?" He nodded in reply and then asked.

"This information was revealed to me in the Place of Seeing." Olsa explained. "I also know that you must get your other companion away from the clutches of the outsiders and bring her here back to us- there is much we must show her."

"I agree, we have get Dianna to safety, but I don't see what you want with her." Cray answered.

Tara spoke up. "We believe that your friend- 'Dianna'- may be the one who can finally end this illness to our world." She added. "You must bring her to us so that we may speak to her."

Cray nodded, but Janise stepped in front of him. "Wait, how do we know we can trust these things… this just might be nothing more then another trap." She told him nervously.

Cray regarded her and then looked back over at the two Fendrah before him. "We don't have any other choice."

**.o.o.o.**

Chase and Todd looked up as Dianna entered the room, holding a small wooden box in her hands. Kimble lead her into the cell and closed it behind her. "I shall watch on the surveillance system." He told her calmly and left.

Dianna carefully sat down and placed the box between them.

"What are you doing, why didn't you try and escape?" Chase exclaimed.

Dianna frowned. "I have more important concerns right now…" She replied. Chase and Todd looked down at the box with her as she slowly reached for it.

"_Go on, open the box." _Kimble's voice commanded over the intercom.

Dianna began to open the lid…

"Are you crazy, we don't know what could happen if we open this!" Chase cried out.

Dianna looked up at the security camera and then back down at the wooden box, she gripped the lid and slowly opened it up. Chase gasped and tired to cover her eyes.

Dianna gritted her teeth and flung the lid open.

Chase screamed—as a toy snake flew out of the box, attached to a spring.

Dianna smiled. "Well, we know now that the Fendrah have a sense of humor." She said with a chuckle.

Chase stopped trembling and looked down. She began to laugh as she looked at the jack in the box- like mechanism swaying about.

"_What's going on? What are you all laughing about in there?!" _Chase demanded.

Then, a strange light began to glow from the box! Everyone shielded their eyes as they were engulfed by it.

**(- End of Chapter 11 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Well, that's all for now. Sorry for the longer then usual wait. I hope you all like this. I'm really having to work pretty hard to keep up this pace.

If you look at the length of the last three chapters and this one- they're all double length. I would usually write between roughly 900 words to roughly 2000 words (with the average being somewhere in between.) But I've actually written four chapters in a row with over 3000 words each.

This series is probably going to be longer then "If You'd Just Say You Love Me" when it's done.

I hope you all appreciate this (sigh…)

-Bojack727


	12. Chapter 12: The Core

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Part 12: The Core**

**.o.o.o.**

The light shined so strongly that she was compelled to shield her eyes, yet she found herself prone- unable to move and do nothing by stare into its overwhelming radiance.

Dianna starred down at it unflinchingly before everything was engulfed in the white light. She was vaguely aware of the fact that Todd and Chase were in the cell with her, but their presence didn't really register in her mind.

And then, images became visible. She could see all over the island- the running water of the lakes and streams, the glistening fruit on the branches of the trees, the vast plant-life and towering trees of the forests…

…Then she saw the Fendrah, many of them. She was looking right at them, as if she stood amongst them. They were happily smiling at one another, somehow communicating with unspoken words.

She then spotted two female figures standing before her, motioning for her to come forward. One of them was young looking with long dark hair while the other was old with short white hair and strange foggy eyes.

She felt herself wanting to go to them, to join them and understand what was going on. Somehow, she realized that they must know something about what was going on.

"Now do you see?"

She looked up, and realized that she was sitting down in a white void. A cloaked figure stood before her, looking back down at her. "I think it's time you went back, Dianna."

She stood up. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I still don't understand half the things going on around me." She protested.

"I cannot give you answers, I can only help you better understand what you already know."

Dianna frowned. "…I'm really getting sick of all this vagueness." She complained. "You say you need my help, yet you offer nothing to guide me- how can you no nothing more then me?" She asked. "You are part of the same thing."

"Reality is a very subjective thing, my deer." He replied.

Suddenly, Dianna looked around and saw them standing in a massive ballroom. Its walls were extravagantly adorned with gold and ivory and shimmered under the illumination of a massive chandelier above them.

The floor was covered with glimmering tiles that reflected like polished glass. Dianna gasped, looking down at herself:

She was wearing pale rose-colored high-heeled slippers. She was also wearing a stunningly immaculate light rose colored gown.

Countless layers cascaded down around her feet, fanned out by the structure of the garment. Lace and filigree were crafted into the gown as well. It came up past her waist, and most of the way up over her breasts- where it morphed into amazing off the shoulder frills, lines with feather-like attachments. The fringes and laces were dyed a darker shade of red.

Her arms were covered in lacy gloves that ran up past her biceps, underneath the 'feathers'. There were even jewels and other things worked into it. She noted that she was wearing a matching lace choker with a large sparkling ruby.

As if all this was not enough, she turned to one of the flawless reflective walls and noted that her usually unruly mess of pink-red hair was made up into a braids in the back that were down up together and held in with a decorative comb. Locks of hair hung down over her forehead and a long braided forelock on either side of her face.

She felt her cheeks get warm as she blushed visibly. She couldn't think of anything to say. She suddenly felt so extravagant, so glamorous, so singularly attractive and alluring. (She noted however, that the muscles on her stomach seemed to struggle under the restraint of her corset.)

She turned back to her companion; her cheeks stained an attractive red color, like her eyes. Words failed her…

"You look like a princess." He told her (to which she covered her face with gloved hands).

He was dressed in a long blue coat with silver trim, with a matching coat underneath that and a white housecoat over his ruffles shirt. A similar white sash was rapped around his neck and tucked into his shirt.

He was also wearing light gray leggings and dress shoes with buckles. He smiled at her, his dark brown hair long and curly and combed back. The light reflected of the gold buttons on his coat.

He held out a gloved hand. "Shall we dance?"

And with that, she found herself being swept off her feet as she moved about the ballroom, between other partygoers.

"The… Palace of Versailles ?" She asked softly.

"Yes… from _The Man in the Iron Mask_, I believe."

She glanced over at a large staircase that lead down into the ballroom, it was made of ivory and there were large ornate doors at the top of it.

"I appear before you because your mind allows it… we exists on an abstract level, only by knowing may you perceive us." He explained as they moved in harmony with the music.

"You mean then," Dianna started. "…that you can only exist in times that revolve around existing information?" She asked. "I think, therefore _you are_?"

"That is one way of looking at it." They continued waltzing around; candlelight glimmered off of every polished decadent spot in the entire hall.

Strange ghostly faces were illuminated by the glow, while glasses full of red wine looked light liquid rubies. Despite the fact that she had green skin, that she was 6'2" and 180 lbs, with blinding red hair and pink eyes, she felt like she blended in with the crowd.

"I need to get back, then, and get to the heart of this." She spoke softly.

"It's time I returned to reality." Dianna reasoned, noting the unearthly atmosphere of the hall. Other couples danced while some simply watched idly.

He smiled at her. "Yes, I think you may find that to be the 'core' of the problem." He replied. "They're waiting for you…"

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna was jerked back to reality. It was dark…She looked around, and turned to Chase. "You saw some of that too, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I saw the Fendrah and the outside…" She paused. "But I don't understand any of it."

Dianna shook her head. "Don't you see?" She asked. "We were seeing things through the eyes of the Fendrah… they have to know what's going on here- we have to get out of her and find them."

"You think they know something about this whole mess?" Chase asked.

The gate to their cell swung open, no longer having any power to maintain the magnetic seal.

"Know about it… they're part of it." Dianna replied, standing up. "If my theory is correct, just about every thing on this island is part of bigger picture."

"Quickly, we have to run!" Dianna exclaimed. "We have to get out of here while we still can." She added urgently.

"What about Commander Todd?" Chase asked, noting his wide-eyed, glassy stair and the tears running down his cheeks. He also bore a creepy smile from ear to ear.

Dianna kneeled down in front of him and snapped her fingers, then looked closely at him. "He must be in shock… he'll snap out of it soon." She explained. "We have more important things to do." She added.

**.o.o.o.**

"Why is control slipping through my fingers?!" Kimble exclaimed- almost on the verge of tears- watching the monitor show Dianna and Chase rush out the room. "No! I won't let them!" He cried out.

He turned and slammed his palm down on a large button. He turned back to the monitors in front of him. "You're not going anywhere- I've worked to hard to catch you, my lovely little pets!" He cackled madly.

"Order will be restored!" He exclaimed.

Kimble then stood up and turned to the two Fendrah. "It's time that I activated the final contingency plan."

**.o.o.o.**

"What's that noise?" Dianna asked, turning to the other woman as they made their way out.

Chase noted the siren call echoing around them while red lights flashed on the wall. "It's Kimble; he must have activated the emergency lock-down." She explained. "We have to get out of here right now!"

Dianna grabbed her by the wrist and rushed back towards the entrance. The shutter was sliding down. "Quick! Under it!" She exclaimed.

Once Chase crawled under the descending door, Dianna did a running slide under it like a batter rushing to home plate. She looked up, noting Chase dismay as the gantry was retracting before them.

She grabbed hold of her and leapt across the gap and onto the grassy surface below. The two of them turned to watch as the dome sealed itself totally off from the outside.

Chase gasped for air as Dianna took out a handkerchief and wiped her forehead. She then got onto her feet and helped Chase up. The other woman adjusted her glassed and smiled at her.

"We've got a ways to go before we reach where the Fendrah are. Fancy a nature walk?" Dianna offered to the other woman with a smile while she removed her hat from her coat pocket and placed it back on her head.

**.o.o.o.**

"Dianna, did you notice something strange when we saw the vision?" Chase asked, pushing aside foliage as they moved.

Dianna paused and looked over her shoulder. "Yes, there was a great sense of harmony and joy when I saw this land through their eyes." She replied.

Chase stopped. "It was so innocent, so child-like." She replied.

Dianna regarded her. "It makes sense if you think about it," She began. "The Fendrah live on a island with trees that bear fruit year-round, with a constant median temperature and no natural predators to speak of." She explained.

"It makes sense; I guess that with nothing to want for and nothing to fear, they can afford to be innocent." She reasoned. "They really are like children."

"This place may be as close to paradise as you'll ever get- it's like the Garden of Eden."

Chase frowned. "And we invaded their paradise… like the serpent of _Genesis_."

Dianna nodded. "Yes, but now we must put aside childish things." She replied. "And besides, you team was just the latest addition to the problem- the balance was upset long ago- years before when the first outsiders came here."

"You mean the colonists that the girl was part of?"

Before Dianna could answer the question with an affirmation, a voice called out to them and they stopped suddenly.

"Dianna!"

The two of them turned around and spotted Janise and Cray emerge from the brush from a slight rise. Cray called to her again, then spotted her.

Janise smiled as the fox hybrid made his way down to them. "Hello Dianna."

Cray embraced her, the two of them regarded one another softly, her piercing reddish-pink eyes meeting his earnest blue ones. She smiled and they shared a kiss.

"I'm glad you're alright." Dianna told him, running a hand through his messy blond locks, his ears twitching tentatively.

He smiled at her. "I'm so glad to see you Dianna… there's a lot to talk about."

Janise regarded the two of them, noting the almost mother-like affection she showed towards him, though it was now clear to her that the two of them were obviously lovers….

"There are some people who'd like to meet you." Janise spoke softly, motioning towards the way they came from.

Dianna looked up at her, narrowed her eyes and loosening her grip on Cray. "Yes, I need to see the Fendrah as well… I think it's about time we spoke about this little situation."

"We have another problem as well," Chase added. "We have to do something about Kimble." She informed them with a sigh.

Dianna and the others looked at her. "What do you think is going to happen?" Dianna asked, tucking her hands into her pockets as she spoke.

"He has complete control over the dome now… including the final solution." She added gravely. "The dome is stocked with a variety of chemicals, explosives, and…" she paused. "Large-scale incendiary explosives."

"What kind of damage are we talking about here?" Dianna asked.

**.o.o.o.**

Kimble flipped through the pages of a large book, scanning the information. "Yes, here it is!" He exclaimed. He began to read straight from the book.

"_If the safety of the dome is compromised and no other options are available, then total destruction of the complex can be achieved as a means of keeping the technology and information out of the hands of potential hostile forces."_

"_By placing the standard issue high-yield explosive charges in a radial pattern around the interior of the dome- this will result in the total destruction of the complex and all of its contents. Additionally, the blast radius will encompass a circular area of one mile- to destroy hostile forces."_

Kimble set the book down and turned to the two Fendrah in the room with him and smiled. "That's it- don't you see?" He began. "It's the only way of insuring that this damn place doesn't win!" He added.

He turned away. "Come with me, we have to begin unloading the charges right away." He finished. "There's a lot of work to do to make our deadline." He finished cheerfully.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna, Dr. Chase, Cray, and Janise all made their way through the forest, towards the area where Janise had told that the Fendrah were waiting.

"As I see it, we now have two problems to deal with." Dianna began. "Kimble, who's totally out of his mind, and 'Creativity'." She remarked, looking around and the dense green canopy of the woods.

"Creativity?" The others asked.

"In one of my visions, I figure appeared before me and told me that he was part of something called the Nexus." She paused. "But, a part of the Nexus broke away- it became Creativity."

Janise nodded. "We've met some… err, locals who told us about the Nexus." She explained.

"Yeah, fairies." Cray added with a gleam of innocent pride in his voice.

Janise starred at him grimly. "They weren't exactly fairies… they said the arrival of the Nexus affected their evolution- from insects to their current forms."

Dianna nodded. "I suspected that the Nexus had a hand in virtually everything on this island." She remarked. "The Nexus is a Gestalt- a compound entity- and when one part of it…"

"…Creativity." Chase inserted, trying to sound like she was keeping up with the conversation.

"Yes, when Creativity separated, it through off the balance of the Nexus and cast this entire island in turmoil." Dianna replied. "Creativity thrives in illusions and deception- it's the force responsible for all these ordeals we've gone through."

Chase walked up along side her. "And you think that the Fendrah can help us find answers to this?" She asked calmly.

Dianna looked at her and grinned a toothy grin back at her. "If nothing else, they may be able to give us some insight into the problem; perhaps set us on the right path to resolving this mess."

"That still leaves us with the issue of Kimble." Chase reminded them all.

"I haven't forgotten that either," Dianna corrected. "Once we know more about what we're dealing with- we'll make our move." She explained. "Kimble is the immediate threat to us, but he is by no means the biggest."

**.o.o.o.**

Tara glanced up as Dianna appeared before her, along with Janise, Cray, and a human female (that she guessed was from the dome).

"So, we meet at last." Dianna remarked, noting the younger hybrid and then glancing over at the elder one.

"Have you never seen a sightless creature before?" Olsa asked bluntly.

"No, it's not that- I'm just surprised." She replied. "My friend- Janise- told me that you wanted to see me." She finished.

"Yes, you must be shown the Place of Seeing, so that you may understand the entire story of this land." Olsa answered. "Then, you will know what to do."

"Very well, though I'm not sure what I can do to help you." Dianna spoke. "I'm just as trapped in all this as everyone else."

"You know more then you are aware of." The old hybrid replied. "Tara, you will remain here with the others." She told the younger girl.

"Hey, I haven't been through all this just to sit back for the rest." Janise exclaimed.

Dianna glared at her. "I think the two of you could be more useful at the moment by going to the dome and keeping an eye on things." She explained. "That way, we can know what's happening at both fronts."

"No, I think I should go back to the dome for the time being." Chase offered.

Dianna nodded. "Right, well take Cray with you then." She replied. "Janise, you come with me." Dianna added in a serious tone.

The human girl nodded and the two of them were lead off by Olsa and Tara.

**.o.o.o.**

Chase and Cray carefully made their way towards the dome. Chase stopped, noting that the door was now open again.

"I thought you said that he had locked the place down?" Cray asked, confused as he looked on at the strange metallic structure before him.

She nodded. "He did, but he must have undone the lock-down to scout around the parameter." She reasoned. "We need to be careful about making our next move." Chase added.

Cray nodded nervously. "Well, as you seem to know more about what going on here, I think you should lead." He offered.

Chase took a step forward and motioned for him to follow her. They slowly made their way to the dome and op the ramp.

Chase paused, glancing at the large object that was mounted on the wall of the corridor of the dome. Its mass was similar to that of a small tire and it was covered in a hard outer layer of plastic.

A small strip had been pealed off and a cord was inserted into it, which in turn was attached to a small device with an antennae. "He's already set and primed the charges." Chase remarked as she looked it over.

Cray walked up beside her. "That's bad right?" He asked tentatively.

She nodded. "Very bad." Came her dark reply. "Quick, we have to find Kimble before he decided to set these things off- and take the entire area up with it."

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Janise followed Olsa and Tara to the entrance of a cave at the base of a small mountainside.

"Tara, you shall remain here and keep watch, the outsiders will come with me." Olsa instructed.

Tara nodded and remained while the three of them entered into the mouth of the cave.

Once inside, Dianna and Janise quickly became aware of the fact that there was illumination inside the cave. Glowing lines along the walls headed further into the cave, till they came into a large chamber.

Janise stared in awe, while Olsa sat down in the center of the chamber, cross-legged.

Dianna continued examining their surroundings. The chamber was covered in the glowing lines- the brightness and shimmering changing suddenly off and on. "This looks familiar- like something I've seen before." Dianna began to say.

"These lines aren't random- they're some sort of pattern, and the fluctuations in the lights- they're familiar too." She reasoned. "This room… I understand now!" She exclaimed.

"If the Nexus really is alive, then the island must be its body… and, and this place is its brain!" She finished.

"What, I don't understand." Janise exclaimed.

Dianna turned to her. "Look around- those lines are fibers… synapses… and the pulses of light are electrochemical signals being sent by the brain." She paused. "If I'm right, then there must be formations like this underground acting like a central nervous system!"

"Good lords, that's heavy." Janise replied. "You're running circles around me for sure."

"Come- it is time for you to see the truth." Olsa announced.

The two of them sat down in front her while she seemed to be concentrating. "Our existence here as a great wheel turning- civilizations rise, the wheel turns, civilizations fall, the wheel turnes." She explained.

"But now the wheel turns for the Deceiver." She began. "Our madness is his delight, our chaos is his… and our suffering is its meat and drink!"

"Chaos." Dianna offered.

"Yes, and if the Deciever is not stopped- the wheel will cast all of us into chaos- giving form to the creatures that exist in the shadows of our minds."

"And we'll have a front seat for the end of the world." Janise muttered.

**.o.o.o.**

Chase and Cray walked into the control room of the doom.

Kimble stepped out before them, smiling as he looked at them. "Chase, I'm so glad your back safe- I was beginning to worry."

Chase nodded calmly. "Yes, I'm sorry to have troubled you over that." She replied.

Kimble then glanced over at Cray. "Don't worry… and I see you've brought a friend with you?" He spoke. "The more the merrier, you're both in time anyway."

"In time for what?" Chase asked nervously, half expecting the answer.

"Why for the show of course- for when I blow all to kingdom come!" He announced excitedly, holding his arms out.

(- End of Chapter 12 -)

**.o.o.o.**

Good lord, this one took me a long time. I was really working to get as much into the chapter as possible. I realize that I could probably have done this story line with twice as many chapters covering the same amount of material, but I seriously didn't want to end having this one storyline just go on and on!

As it is, this was simply going to be a short filler, maybe one or two chapters, but the whole fantasy world idea really gave me a lot more inspiration that I had expected, especially when I added in the all the other characters. I eventually decided that I could do a four-part story with this… but that mark's already been passed.

Every chapter has been a case of asking myself: "how much story can I get into each chapter?" I've written 3000+ words for every chapter of this arc. That's a hell of a lot considering how I used to write. And on top of all this, I've got two more plots to cover before this series is done!

After this series ends, I'll probably follow up on what's going on with Hayami and the others back home.

Later,

-Bojack727

Special thanks to QReaper, Carlos Angulo, The Toltec (read his work!) and everyone else.


	13. Chapter 13: Finale

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Part 13: "Finale"**

**.o.o.o.**

"Yes, it all comes down to just pressing this single button." Kimble spoke in a mad tone of voice. He had a small device in his hand with a large red button on it. "Once I press this- BOOM" He exclaimed melodramatically.

His jacket was gone and his dark gray-green T-shirt and suspenders were visible. The Two Fendrah also stood off to the side. "Funny, really… it's all so simple in the end." He muttered to himself.

Chase motioned to Cray to keep quiet. "Tell me, Kimble, why do we need to blow up the dome?" She asked calmly while slowly slinking over to a table where the Box of Jhana was.

Kimble, who was too wrapped up in his own ranting, went on talking (oblivious to Chase's movement.) He turned around and Chase was quick to stop and play things off. "You see, don't you- by blowing us all up, we'll all finally be safe from the plants."

He turned to Cray. "You, you haven't been here long enough to know what things are like here- you could never understand the strain of leadership." He paused. "Tell me, what do you think of all this?"

Cray almost jumped as Kimble walked towards him. "What, me?" He asked in surprise.

"Yes, I want a nonobjective opinion on things," He paused. "An assessment of things from the view of an outsider- how am I doing?" He asked with a creepy smile on his face.

Cray trembled. "Great…" He mumbled. "I don't see anything wrong."

Kimble seemed to relax at this. "That's wonderful, for a moment there; I thought you might say I was insane." The last part of the sentence punctuated by a broad smile across his face.

Cray smiled. "What? You, insane, not at all!" He offered in an overly friendly tone of voice, holding his hands up.

Kimble crossed his arms and then uncrossed them, seeming to think about the answer. "Really, that's interesting." He paused. "I mean, if I was you- I think I was totally mad." He replied. "I mean, look at all of this- I'm going to blow us all up to protect us from plants." He added.

Kimble walked over beside Cray and smiled at him. "Now, let's be honest- just between you and me and the water cooler- you might think that this is a little crazy?" He asked amiably.

Cray began to sweat. "Well, now that you mention it…"

Chase continued watching, and slowly picked up the box and held it in both hands. She kept silent, waiting for the right moment.

Kimble smiled. "Now, you see, isn't honesty so much better?" He asked. "When we're honest with each other, we can do what's needed- discipline."

He stepped back. "It's just one of life's lessons- I had to learn it the hard way though, unlike you." He spoke. "My father taught me the importance of discipline by beating me everyday."

He smiled again, the same dangerous smile. "Did me a world of good, made me the man I am today, it gave me the ability to see things for what they are- and that's why I can danger when everyone else sees plants!" He exclaimed.

"Tell me, Kimble, how exactly are you controlling the Fendrah?" Chase asked.

He turned around and smiled at her. "Well, it's simple really- mirrors." He replied. "They saw the reflection in the glass and they think I've stolen their souls."

He then noted the box she was holding. "What are you doing with that?!" He exclaimed.

Suddenly, Cray lunged at Kimble and latched onto his arm. The two of them struggled, till Cray wrenched the control from his hands and dove to the side.

"You betrayed me!" Kimble exclaimed hysterically and aimed his gun at Chase just as she opened the box.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Janise became silent as they sat before Olsa as she began chanting. Soon, their vision grew foggy. Once things cleared, they realized that they were somewhere else on the island.

They were now standing out in a clearing. All around them, small columns stood, where various time-keeping devices rested. Hands on clock faces turned endlessly, digital numbers changed, timers ticked away, gears whirred in antique clocks, and sand poured down through hourglasses.

"Dianna! What's going on here?" Janise exclaimed, gripping the other woman's arm.

Dianna turned and looked at the all the time pieces. Her gaze moved back between the various types. She paused on the form of an hourglass as sand poured down into the lower chamber.

A hand came down and picked up the hourglass. The two of them glanced over the figure before them. "You're running out of time—everyone is!"

Dianna's grew wide. "Hayami?" She blurted out as she looked over the familiar figure smiling at her. He set down the hourglass and vanished.

Janise turned around as someone else stepped out before them.

"The answer is right in front of you." The new figure told them. This time, it was Kisaki- his camera hanging around his neck as he spoke.

"Then we really are looking at the end of the world after all?" Janise asked frantically. She looked between Dianna and the new stranger.

Dianna looked around and came face to face with Olsa. The old hybrid stared at her darkly. "The balance has been upset- it must be corrected. The path to the Deceiver lies ahead."

And then they found themselves back in the real world, sitting back down in the cave. Janise began shaking Dianna's shoulder. She looked over at her. "What?"

Janise gulped and began to speak. "Dianna, it's the old woman- I think she's dead!"

Dianna looked at her for herself, noting her motionless body. She slowly extended one of her hand and touched her thought. "It's very common for people to go into death-like states following moments of shock…" she paused.

"But this time, I'm afraid you're right- she's dead." Dianna concluded solemnly. She then got up to her feet, along with Janise.

Tara then calmly entered the cave and picked up Olsa's staff and held onto it with a thoughtful expression.

Dianna regarded her. "Tara… I'm sorry, but Olsa has died." She informed.

The young female simply smiled at her oddly. "But I'm not dead, I'm right here before you- I am Olsa." She finished with another smile.

Dianna and Janise exchanged expressions and then looked back at her.

**.o.o.o.**

"At last, soon Dianna and her companions will arrive for the final chapter of this adventure." He spoke as he observed the image of Dianna and Janise following Tara through the forest.

"And when they arrive, I will be ready to complete my greatest work to date." He exclaimed and quickly began to laugh.

**.o.o.o.**

"So, let me try and understand this." Dianna began. "When Olsa died, all her wisdom and experience passed to you?" She ducked under a low branch.

"Correct, everything that she was has now become part of me, as it was for her and so on." Tara replied. "I now have her accumulated wisdom and experiences to add to my own… it is all part of the cycle."

"She was an incredible leader to us… but her time had come, you noticed her blindness?" Tara asked. "That was a result of her powers beginning to fail- but they could not die with her." She added.

"So you succeeded her?" Janise asked curiously.

"Yes. Like many things on this island… the explanation is more of an esoteric issue then a scientific one." Tara remarked. "It was my destiny to carry on the legacy, as it will one day be the destiny of another carry on for me."

"Another female right?" Janise asked with a smile.

Tara nodded. "Of course, in this culture, females lead and pass on knowledge." She paused and smiled. "But to do not be mistaken… our males are very much a part of our society as well… like all things here, they too have their place."

Janise smiled and tucked her hands in her jacket. "I think I could get to like this place." She thought to herself.

"But what are we going to do now?" Dianna asked, brushing away some tall grass as she walked.

"It is now my duty to help bring you to the layer of the Deceiver so that you may fulfill your destiny." Tara spoke. "Come along."

Janise simply kept silent and followed them as they moved through the woods.

Soon, the three of them came up to the front of them dome. Tara stopped and turned to them. "Please, go on."

"But I've already been here." Dianna protested.

Tara shook her head. "The tomes all lead to this place- here the key to defeating the Deceiver may be found." Tara explained. "And we need not go searching for him- he shall come seeking us."

Chase and Cray walked out of the dome and joined them. Dianna turned to them and smiled. "You're both alright?" She asked.

Dianna joined them and put her arm around Cray waist.

"Yes, Kimble's taken care of- he won't be giving us anymore trouble." Chase informed them. "That little box took care of him." She added deviously.

Dianna smiled. "Yes, I imagine it would."

Chase seemed to light up, as if recalling something. "I just remembered," she began. "Kimble used a mirror to trick the Fendrah into thinking he stole their souls- that's how he controlled them."

"Mirrors?" Dianna uttered. "I think things are beginning to make sense." She spoke. "Chase, I think I'm going to need to borrow another mirror from you." She then paused and turned to Tara.

"Bring as many of your people too, we're going to need a much help as we can get." She told her.

Tara nodded and departed.

"Excuse me, but could you explain just what exactly you're planning here?" Chase asked, slightly put off by the vagueness of Dianna's words.

"Do you have large reflective surfaces we can use?" Dianna asked her, placing both hands on the woman's shoulders.

"The solar panels might work." Chase offered after a while. "But I still don't understand what you're getting at."

Dianna paused and looked at her with a smile. "I'm going to pay a visit to the Deciever and I think I know a way of stopping him…"

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna walked into the woods alone. She glanced around and sighed. "I'm here- I've come to speak to you…" She paused. "I know you can hear me right now- you're aware of everything that goes on here."

"_Yes, forgive me for making you wait."_ An airy voice spoke.

Dianna surveyed her surroundings and saw that she was now standing in a large white void.

"_I'm so I can finally meet you, after all this time."_ The voice said. _"You don't know what it means to have such an outstanding player like you in my story."_

A chair formed behind Dianna and she looked at it. _"Please, sit down."_ The voice told her. Once she seated herself, the conversation resumed.

Dianna smiled. "This is all very impressive, pointless, but impressive non-the-less."

"_Pointless?"_ The voice echoed her words. _"Not pointless; necessary."_ The voice added. _"These illusions allow me to express myself- and in this way, I am able to reaffirm my own existence."_

Dianna shook her head. "But to what end, you play games with the lives of others- you've created complex systems and networks of fables and fantasies." She exclaimed. "But there's no point to it- in the end, it's just farce!"

"If you live your life in fantasy, then you'll never experience real life- never know the joys of the real world. For my kind, that is a priceless part of life… a part that you have taken from them."

"_You could not understand what I have done- humans and hybrids fail to use the gifts they have been given. So often they never express themselves and let their inventiveness go to waste. If they will not use it, then I shall make use of it!"_

"That's not your choice!" Dianna exclaimed. "What people do with themselves- regardless of the productiveness of it- is their choice to make."

Dianna stood up. "And you- 'Creativity', 'The Deceiver' or whatever you call yourself- are just another petty manipulative creature with a god-complex who's made an elaborate plaything for your own amusement!!"

"_This is not a PLAYTHING!"_ The voice bellowed at her.

"Then what the hell is the point of all this?" Dianna demanded. "What's it all for- what could be worth the misery, the loss of life, the madness?" She cried out.

A towering figure appeared before her and held out a hand and pointed at her. _"And who are you- what do you know of my existence?" _He demanded. _"How could you grasp the magnitude and mind-numbing boredom of nonexistence?!"_

"_For me, there is no reality, no change, nothing! We simple are! You call this fantasy, but I call it reality… it is the only reality I can know!_" He added.

"It is a lie!" Dianna screamed. "I dug up the records from the passenger ship you targeted originally, and I know that somewhere in this is the man you possessed!" She added, reaching into her coat pocket.

"You're no more a manifestation of creativity then anything else- you stole his creativity and cast this land into chaos- spreading like a disease!" Dianna continued.

"You're a parasite! The invent truths to escape into! And if you really were creative, then you'd know that it's a gift that one must craft for themselves- you can't steel it!"

"_SILENCE!"_

"No, I don't think so- it's time for you to face the truth!" Dianna replied holding up a mirror in her hand and pointing it at him.

He recoiled as the void faded away, and the forest around them became clear again.

"Now!" Dianna exclaimed and dashed off to the side.

The shadowy mass cried out but came to a halt as reflective objects were turned on him.

The Fendrah, along with Chase, Janise and Cray, encircled around him- enclosing him in the circle of mirrors.

"_No! No! I am real, I'm not an illusions! I AAAAM NOOOT---"_

A man fell out from the shadows and the dark mass began to break apart.

Everyone cringed and held on to keep the circle closed. Energy swirled around them like wind.

Dianna called out. "Get him out, quick!" She instructed and two Fendrah males pulled the man out of the circle just as it closed again.

"No one look at it, it can only exist if we accept it!" Dianna called out to everyone who promptly closed their eyes tightly. "Hold on, don't back down!"

After a few more moments, the darkness began to fade and dissipate, till it was gone.

**.o.o.o.**

Kimble and Commander Todd walked along through the forest. The branches overhead shading them as they moved.

"I imagine that this will all have to go into the records Commander?" Kimble asked, his hands in his pockets and his jacket open. "As stated in the manual." He added.

Todd looked over at him and smiled. "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about what's been going on." He replied. "Beside, I don't read that silly old thing anyway."

Kimble stopped and smiled. "Thank you."

Todd stopped and looked at him. "Thank you, _sir._" He corrected in friendly tone.

"Yes, if course, thank you sir." Kimble answered with a genuine smile on his face.

…

Chase and Dianna stood off to the side and watched the two men talking and conversing. "They've changed." Chase observed.

"Yes, the Box of Jhana apparently is supposed to overwhelm the mind." Dianna replied. "And in Kimble's case, it drove him out of his mind- which really was just what he needed."

Chase smiled and looked over her. "Yes, Kimble is much better now- better then he's been in months. And Commander Todd is different too, so peaceful and calm… I think he may be planning on staying." She added.

Dianna smiled back at her. "Well then, what about you- are you going to stay here in paradise?"

Chase shook her head. "I think I'll be getting back home, the systems will be back up soon and we can send a distress signal." Chase replied. "But personally, paradise is a bit too green for me."

Dianna looked around. "Yes, I see what you mean- it is a bit overwhelming."

"Dianna, what are you going to do?" Chase asked.

"Oh, we have our own boat… and we really must be going soon, we've still got a few more places to look into about finding Cray's home."

Chase snapped her fingers. "You know, we heard rumors about Fox-like creatures in the this region, somewhere in the nearby island." She paused. "I hope that's of some help to you."

The taller woman smiled. "Thank, it's a start." She replied. "I think I'd better get ready and find the others."

"Goodbye." Chase spoke.

Dianna took her hat out of her coat and waved at her. "See you around."

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna walked up to see Cray and Janise sitting down before Tara. A small creature rested on Cray's shoulder while another one sat on Janise's.

"Dianna?" Cray spoke.

She noted the small fairy-like creature on his shoulder. It was female with pink hair. The one on Janise was male with silver hair.

"The man- how is he?" Janise asked.

Dianna smiled at her and sat down. "He's going to be fine, he'll probably go back with Chase and the others."

The male fairy waved at her. "Hullo." He spoke.

She then turned to Cray, who smiled. The female fairy also smiled back. "Hi." She spoke enthusiastically.

Tara was the next to speak. "These two are Trink and Tess, respectively." She spoke, making introductions. "They're some of the more extraordinary residents of the island."

"At this point, nothing surprises me. Good to meet you." Dianna spoke cordially.

Tara smiled at them again. "I have good news- the Nexus is at piece again… and order and happiness will so return to us." She explained. "Also, I found something in Olsa's memories that may be of use to you." She began.

"There is another island near here called the Land Hidden in the Mist. There were old stories about Fox creatures being seen there." She informed them. "Recently, the veil of fog appears to have lifted, so you may be able to explore it."

"Perhaps there you will find the answers you seek." She finished.

Dianna nodded. "Thank you." She replied and stood up. "Cray, I think it's time we got going… It's been a nice holiday but I think I'm ready to get moving again."

The fox nodded and got to his feet, Trink fluttering over to Tara as he did. "Dianna…" He began.

She noticed him motioning towards Janise who was still sitting quietly on the ground. She suddenly smiled in understanding and kneeled down next to her.

"So, Janise- do you have any plans?"

The girl looked up. "Everyone else- including my family- ended up as victims of that thing… so I don't really have anything to go back to." She answered solemnly.

Dianna looked over at Cray and smiled. She then turned back to Janise. "How about you come with us?"

Tess fluttered off her shoulder as she stood up. "Really, I'd love to." She admitted with a slight bashfulness in her tone.

Dianna looked between her and Cray. "Well then, let's go."

**(- End of Chapter 13 -)**

**.o.o.o.**


	14. Chapter 14: Mistfall

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Part 14: "Mistfall"**

**.o.o.o.**

She rolled off the edge of the bunk in the radio room of the ship. Janise groaned and glanced over at the clock.

The ship had been set on auto-pilot and left idle for the night. Its next destination would be the mysterious "island in the mist" that they had learned about recently.

"I'm going to need to get some new clothes soon." She mumbled to herself as she sat cross-legged on the floor of the room. She was just wearing her underwear and her gray top.

She had new intention of even considering the cabin in the lower deck. That was Dianna and Cray's room and she got the feeling their privacy was more important then a minor inconvenience on her part. In fact, she had insisted on staying in the radio room!

She got dressed quickly and looked out the window. She then slid the door open and stepped out onto deck. She starred at the distant land mass, clouded by fog banks. "Wow…" she thought at she looked at it.

"You almost can't see the island."

She turned around and came face to face with Dianna, giving her a relaxed and friendly expression. "Did I wake you, it's kind of early." Janise asked apologetically.

The other woman shook her head. "No, we've been up for a little while- Cray's having breakfast…" She replied.

"I want to ask you something." Janise spoke, leaning against the edge of the deck.

Dianna joined her. "What is it?" she asked, regarding her.

"You're going out of you're way to help him- why are you doing so much for him?" She asked in a serious tone. "I mean, you could be just trying to help him… but," she paused.

Dianna looked over at her curiously. Janise met her gaze. "But I can see in the way you look at him, the gentleness you express when you come in contact with him, the intimacy of your relationship with him…" She paused again.

Dianna smiled softly to herself. "What are you getting at?" She asked coolly.

Janise looked at her and placed and hand on her shoulder. "I don't know you as well as anyone else- but I know human nature better then some…" She paused, considering her words. "You love him don't you?"

Dianna looked up at her suddenly. "There's something about him… something infectious and charming. Maybe it's his unassuming nature or his innocence. I don't know what it is." She explained.

"Since I've met Cray, it's like a missing part of me has finally been given back." She went on. "My old life ended when I became the creature you see before you- my life as an academic, as a mother, and a woman- all of it seemed to end." She explained.

"You're young," she spoke to Janise, taking her hand in her and rubbing it slightly. "I have… _had_ a little girl of my own… that I don't think I'll ever see again." She paused. "Cray gave me something that I forgot even existed… something I haven't felt for over three years." She added.

She licked her lips. "The thing I'm speaking of isn't just sex or physical intimacy… it's more. Through Cray, I feel a powerful unassuming trust and compassion." She tried to explain. "As much as Cray may think he needs me, I need him just as badly…" She added, looking Janise in the eyes.

"When I'm with him, whether it's sex or just talking… I actually feel wanted and needed as a woman." She finished.

Janise suddenly felt small and childish, no longer a 19 year old girl, but a 9 year girl. She had been extremely bold and callous with her question, and she had taken a liberty with it that she now felt she had no right to. "Oh Dianna, I'm sorry for bringing it up, I…"

Diana shook her head. "You don't need to apologize, the things I said were nothing for me to be ashamed of- you asked a question of me that I was more then capable of answering." She said. "You're young- but no so young as to be naïve."

"I'm glad I met you." Janise spoke gently. "Thanks for saving me from that illusion." She added. "I hope that I can make it up to you one day."

Dianna smiled. "Be happy." She continued. "Be happy and find fulfillment in everything you do- that's how you can make it up."

Janise smiled. "You sound like you're over the hill- you've got plenty of time to make that happen for you."

Dianna narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Sound like I'm over the hill?" She asked. "Kid, I'm a good 15 years older then either of you."

"So what, it's all relative to how you feel." Janise retorted with a smile of her own. "You're faster and stronger then most people ever will be, and from what I gather- you have a high metabolic rate and incredible stamina."

"What makes you say that?" Dianna asked coyly.

"Cray told me about how fast you healed from your wounds after that incident with the hunters." Janise explained. "Also, the walls on this boat aren't soundproof."

Dianna blushed faintly. "Yes, there is that… Cray is very 'accommodating'." She added. "But such is my duty to see that his energy is put to good use." Dianna offered deviously and the two women shared a smile.

**.o.o.o.**

Henderson studied the sample once more under the electron microscope. "Yes, the more I analyze this, the more obvious it is." He remarked. "The specimens we took from the plant life and vegetation show a clear mutation in their cellular structure."

Henderson looked to be in his mid thirties with brown hair and glasses. He was wearing a white lab coat. He turned to another man standing nearby. "And the core samples we took from the trees show a clear pattern of abnormalities in their rings."

The other man, Ponti- a black man, with short hair- nodded. "According to my analysis, the rings from the tree show that every thirty years, the atmosphere suddenly changes for a period of three years- during that time, the levels of carbon dioxide rise dramatically and the atmosphere would become unsuitable."

"So, for three years, the air becomes near toxic and the land uninhabitable." Henderson observed. "I wonder what happens during that time…"

Ponti looked at him strangely. "I don't understand what you're getting at."

"It's not important… tell me, when will this cycle begin?" Henderson asked, after shrugging off his remark.

Ponti became silent for a moment and shifted in his chair. "Actually, it's begun right now." He admitted with a touch apprehension.

Henderson's eyes widened briefly and he crossed his arms. "That's not good… we'll have to abandon our operations outside the facility and contact the mainland to apprise the company."

"They're not going to like that." Ponti replied.

"Yes, I know." The other man answered. "Now, we'd better start trying to get in contact with our people outside."

"Right."

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna Checked the flashlight to make sure it still worked and then set it down. She walked over to where Cray sat quietly looking down at a deck of cards. "What are you doing?" she asked, sitting down next to him and rubbing her palm against the fine fur of his cheek.

He smiled back at her. "I'm trying to play solitaire- Janise showed me- but I'm having trouble…" He admitted. He fiddled with the cards and set the deck down.

"What are you having trouble with, maybe I can help?" Dianna offered, leaning back in her chair.

He shook his head. "Actually, that's not the problem…" He began. "When I shuffled the cards and set them up, I always knew where all the cards were, where each one was… so it's not any challenge."

Dianna arched her brow. "You know where the cards are?" He nodded in affirmation. "All of them?" She asked bewilderedly. Once more, he nodded an affirmative.

She then picked up the deck. "Look through all the cards and then give them to me." She told him. He took the deck from her slick green hand and skimmed through the cards, looking at each of them briefly.

Once he gave her the deck back, she set down one of the cards, face down. "What's this one?"

"Three of diamonds."

She picked up the card and saw that he was right. She then put down another. "And this one?"

"Jack of clubs."

Again, Cray got it right. The process went on for another ten cards till Dianna changed tactics. "Tell me next ten cards."

"…Ace of Spades, 3 of hearts, Jack of diamonds, 5 of clubs, Queen of hearts, King of spades, 9 of hearts, 2 of hearts, Ace of Clubs, and 4 of spades…"

Dianna flipped through the cards. "You knew them all… every single one of them." She replied dumbfounded. "Love, I think you've got _total recall_." She revealed.

Cray perked up at this, youthful curiosity playing across his face. "What's that?"

She smiled. "It means you can remember everything you observe without any practice."

Cray was quiet for a moment and then looked back over at her and smiled softly. "I guess that explains a lot." He remarked.

Dianna looked at him quizzically. "Um, what do you mean?"

He gave her a silly smile and took her hand. "How I learned all your favorite things so fast." He replied. He watched her cheeks redden and smiled at her again. "Not that I don't have an excellent teacher."

Dianna blushed and looked off to the side. "Well, yes, you are a quick learner…" She muttered back at him. "We'd better get ready to check out the island."

**.o.o.o.**

Sheehan- an older man with red hair- adjusted the equipment and placed it in the ground. "Alright, I'm going to calibrate this thing and set it up." He explained to another man.

Jones, a man in his thirties with dark hair looked over his shoulder at Hawkins. "Once we finish setting up the surveillance equipment, we can head back to the complex." He explained. "According to Friedland, we'll be the last group to report in- so everyone will be waiting for us." He added jokingly.

Jones put down his scanner when he heard a faint noise. He looked over to the side and noticed something strange. He stood up and walked over to a spot where the ground seemed to be getting soggier very quickly. "What the hell?" He muttered as he glanced down at it.

Sheehan, who was still a ways off to the side, stood up and zipped up his white boiler suit. "Is something wrong over there?" He asked, turning on the device he had planted in the ground.

Jones stared the ground as the spot started to get larger and murkier. "I don't know, something strange is happening over here."

By the time Sheehan joined him, the spot on the ground had begun to bubble and fume. "What the hell is that?" He exclaimed.

Jones shook his head. "I don't know, I've never seen anything like this before."

"I don't like this, I'm going to radio back to base and tell them about this- I'll be right back." He told Jones, who simply nodded in response.

Jones kneeled down and starred at it. "Fascinating…" He spoke as he picked up a small phial and reached down to take a sample of the liquid. "What?" He spoke softly as the murky fluid began to ripple. "What the…?"

Jones leaned in further to get a better look, but the dark liquid jetted out of the murk and splattered onto his face. He gagged and stumbled back. Jones soon collapsed and fell onto his back.

The soil around him began to bubble and become wet. Soon, it began to rise up around him as his still form sunk deeper into the ground.

At that moment, as if on key, across the island- the atmosphere began to change and condense. The air became thick and murky as plumes of fog began to form…

**.o.o.o.**

Janise hopped down onto the shore, her black rain boots plashing as she touched down. She pulled a flashlight out of her green jacket. The light shined out of the top of the instrument- shaped like an upside "j".

"Hmm, nice place…" She mumbled dryly as she looked around. She clipped her flashlight into her jacket pocket and took a band out of her camouflage combat trousers and tied her hair back into a ponytail.

"The fog's rolling in." Dianna observed, glancing around as she walked over to where Janise stood. Cray stood next to her.

Growing clouds of fog continued to move around them, impeding the sight of anything in the distance.

The green-skinned woman had her gray pants tucked into a pair of dark green rain boots. She wore a light gray coat with brown trim on the cuffs, collar and pocket covers, along with leather elbow pads stitched onto the arms. A red silk tie hung around the loose collar of her white shirt and was tucked into her plaid vest.

She pulled out her familiar felt hat and gave it a good shake to get it back into its original form and then placed it on her head. "It sure is soft around here." She remarked, jamming her heel into the sand. "I don't think that this is the right place…" She added.

Cray, who was actually wearing boots- along with his pants and shirt, adjusted the navy blue sailor's stocking cap on top of his blond locks. "Dianna, I have strange feeling about this place…"

Janice regarded the red fox hybrid for a moment. "What are you talking about Cray?" She asked him.

He glanced at her. "I don't know… It's weird… sinister." He replied; realize the impact of his words.

A loud cry tore through the air, jolting the travelers. The trio turned and glanced into the green overgrowth of trees in the direction of the noise.

"What the hell was that?" Janise exclaimed.

Dianna held up her hand. "Something IS wrong here- I'd better check it out." She replied. She started to move but stopped and looked back at them. "I know- I tempting fate by going off on my own again." She admitted. "But why break an old habit right now?" She asked the two of them with a smile.

She next reached into her coat and held up her hand. "Don't worry, I learn from my mistakes." She announced proudly, displaying the small fire-arm in her hand. She slid a clip into it and pulled the slide back.

"Would you really use that?" Cray asked, looking at her.

She turned to Cray and smiled. "Probably not, but who- or what- is out there doesn't know that." She added with a smile and leaned forward to plant a quick kiss on his lips.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna padded along through the woods. As she moved along, she took a silencer out of her coat and attached it to the end of the weapon. "Hmm, guns…" She thought out loud.

She stopped and took in the sight of a figure kneeling over the prone form of a man. "Hello?" She uttered, flexing her fingers around her gun.

The crouched over figure had one hand placed down over the other man's face, as if smothering him. The dead man on the ground was unconscious and had red hair- now messy and disheveled.

But the thing that really caught Dianna off guard was the condition of the other man, who turned around to face her- still in a lurching position. His face and bare hands were discolored and green, with dark lines running along the surface. His eyes were murky and black and a dark liquid dripped from his open mouth.

The man hissed and took a step towards her. Dianna stepped back and pointed her gun at him. "Don't move!" She exclaimed, but the man seemed unfazed by the danger of the pistol.

He began to run right at her, but was knocked back after Dianna fired two shots right into him. He went flying onto the ground. Dianna unloaded another bullet into him and put the gun away.

She got onto the ground and took the red-haired man's pulse. "Still alive…" She whispered. She heard a click and looked up in time to see a gun pointed in her general direction.

**.o.o.o.**

"You must think I'm very foolish?" Cray asked Janise as the two of them waited back at the sore.

The girl looked over at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I know that compared to Dianna and you, I'm not the smart." Cray admitted. "I don't know a lot about science, but I know that you don't believe in what I said earlier."

The brunet shook her head. "Cray, it's not that I don't believe you," she began. "It's just that I don't take things at face value- there has to be more to what's going on." She corrected. "I mean, this sudden fog is very unusual…" She added and then became silent.

"Cray, can I ask you something?" The girl began. After seeing him nod, she continued. "I'm just curious about what you're going to do when you find where you came from?"

The hybrid was silent for a moment and shook his head. "I don't know… I can't remember much." He began. "At first I thought I just couldn't remember the recent events that had happened to me, but…"

The girl noted the pause and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Cray?"

He looked over at her and smiled. "I can't really remember much of anything…" He told her. "But the strangest thing is that I never even noticed that until just a few days ago."

"…And now I think that the truth might not be what I think it is." Cray continued. "There are times when I almost recall something that I think happened in the past, but never totally- all that I can hold onto is a strange desire to seek out where I came from."

Janise had remained silent as he spoke, taking in the sudden revelations as he spoke. "Cray, I—"

A rapid series of gunshots sounded in the distance and Janise became quiet. The two of them looked back at the forest.

"Dianna?"

"No, she had a silencer on her gun- I remember her packing it." Cray replied.

Janise went pale. "Then… someone else…"

**(- End of Chapter 14 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Well, special thanks go to "The Toltec", Carlos Angulo, Kurokitsune-chan, QReeper and all the others who've taken the time to read my work.

Also, as I've remarked- the chapters are much longer then they were years back. For some reason, I can write a lot more for this storyline. This will be the 7th consecutive chapter with over 3000 words in it. Hopefully, that energy will carry over into "Restless Tides" and my other work.

Thank you all so much,

-Bojack727


	15. Chapter 15: Trapped

Well, I'm done with the latest chapter of Gaiden. I hope anyone who still follows this story enjoys it. I'll try and have the next chapter of sooner. I'm going to be graduating from college soon and I'll be pretty busy. But I'll try…

-Bojack727

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Chapter 15: _"Trapped"_**

**.o.o.o.**

Janise and Cray turned around when they heard the sound of gunfire. They quickly made their way in the direction that Dianna had taken off in.

They reached a clearing and Janise kneeled down. She picked up a small copper cylinder and held in up. It glinted faintly between her fingers in the misty air. "This one didn't come from Dianna's gun." Janise commented, looking around. "It looks like there's two types of casing around here- some of them from an automatic weapon…"

Cray coughed loudly before looking over at her. "The air, it's getting thicker…" He mumbled.

Janise felt a coughing fit overtake her as she glanced around. "Cray, I think the oxygen levels are dropping…" She spoke gravely.

He regarded her. "Is that bad?"

She looked over at him. "We can't breathe the atmosphere that we've already expelled- carbon dioxide is toxic… soon we'll succumb to hypoxia." She explained. She gripped him on his shoulders. "We'll smother!"

"DON'T MOVE!" A muffled voice called out at them as a powerful beam of light shined on them. The two shielded their eyes as figures stepped forward.

**.o.o.o.**

Friedland watched the red flash as she stood before the large door. She was wearing a white lab coat and a long navy blue skirt and white blouse. A pair of glasses rested on the ridge of her nose. He long blond hair was pulled up into a bun.

She pressed a button on the wall and the speaker crackled to life. "Who is this, report." She instructed calmly into the device.

"This is Foster, open the door." A voice replied.

The woman nodded and opened a panel pressed down on a large button. There was a hiss of compressed air as the large metal door slid open. A tall figure in a dark gray boiler suit and gasmask, along with combat boots and gloves, entered. He also wore a black utility vest over the suit that had many pouched and pockets.

Foster has his automatic rifle slung over one shoulder and his large flashlight buckled onto his belt. He was helping Sheehan walk- who appeared to be only semi-conscious.

Before Friedland could say anything, two more figures made their way into the entry chamber. Both were coughing. One of them was a young woman with long brown hair tide loosely in the back. The other was an unusual looking creature- likely a hybrid- with red fur and messy blond hair. He wore a sailor's stocking cap on his head and his long furry ears protruded out.

"Jim; who on Earth are these two?" Friedland asked as Foster finished taking off his hood. He had buzzed hair. He glanced at her.

"I found these two wondering around out in the fog." He began. "Maloney is still out there right now." He continued. "We got separated from him and the others in the fog."

"What do you mean 'others'?" Friedland asked him, crossing her arms and looking at him.

"There was another stranger… she and Maloney are bringing Hawkins back…"

"Oh my…" Friedland commented and glanced about for a moment. She then turned to Janise and Cray. "Well, you appear to be human." She remarked, looking the young woman over.

Before Janise could comment on the word 'appear', Friedland turned to Cray. "You must be a hybrid?" She asked, and then glanced down at the fluffy tail that hung down behind him. "And a fox no less…"

Henderson entered the chamber. "Quickly, I'll help you get him to the sickbay." He explained and the two men helped Sheehan out of the room.

Friedland pressed her glasses back up her nose and then turned back to Janise and Cray. "I don't suppose I should ask what exactly you two were doing wondering around on this island?"

Janise smiled weakly. "Would you believe we were traveling?"

Foster sighed. "I think you'd better show our 'guests' somewhere they can rest." He spoke. "I'll water here and let Maloney and the others in."

Friedland nodded and motioned for Janise and Cray to follow her.

**.o.o.o.**

Friedland stepped into the rec. room with Cray and Janise in tow behind her. "I think it would be best for the two of you to remain here for the time being while we sort things out." She explained.

Janise nodded and set down on a sleek black leather and metal couch. Cray joined her and pulled his cap off and stuffed it in his pockets. He then reached down and began pulling off his rain boots (or "wellies", as Dianna referred to them in her accent).

"Don't you think it's strange that they're just leaving us alone in here?" He asked, pulling off the first boot. "I mean, they don't even know anything about us." He added, getting the second one off.

She smiled at him and shook her head. "You'd better not try and shake yourself dry." She warned with a twinkle in her eye. Cray frowned at that, but said nothing.

The brunette motioned towards one of the upper corners of the room. "They don't have to worry about us- they have us under surveillance." She informed him, pointing at a mounted camera- a small red light on it blinking. "That thing is probably linked to a closed circuit video system… a 'CCV' for short."

"…an electronic eye?" Cray remarked vaguely as he looked up at the camera. "Then, they can see us right now?" He asked her.

"Undoubtedly," Janise began. "I spotted several cameras around this place- something important must be kept here." She finished, rubbing her hands together and looking around.

The door to the rec. room slid open and the two them turned, expecting to see Friedland or Foster… But they brightened as Dianna stepped forward and smiled at them. "Well, It seems everything is in order." She commented.

"Where have you been?" Cray asked, getting to his feet and hurrying over to her. "I was worried something had happened to you out there." He added.

She cupped his cheek and rubbed it with the palm of her hand gently. "I'm fine dear," she began. "Which is less then I can say for the others."

"What exactly is going on here?" Janise asked, standing up.

Dianna crossed her arms and took a deep breath. "One of the men, Hawkins I think, attacked Sheehan- I walked up onto this while it was happening." She explained. "He turned on me- but I was able to deal with him." She added, patting her hip through her coat.

"The men were wearing special gasmasks, how did you survive out there?" Janise asked.

Dianna smiled and tugged at her collar gingerly. "These gills have something to do with it." She explained. "They were collecting water molecules from the fog," She explained. "And with a little self-discipline, I was able to survive off that." She added.

Dianna then placed her arms around the two of them and sighed. "Outside, the air is toxic… and for now, we are effectively trapped."

**.o.o.o.**

Kumadi glanced down at the prone form of Sheehan on the bunk. He placed his stethoscope on him. "His heart rate is higher then normal and his breathing is shallow." He remarked. "Otherwise, I can't find anything unusual about him to explain why he hasn't regained consciousness."

Kumadi turned towards Maloney. "Are you sure that you didn't see anything at all unusual happening to him?" He asked. The doctor had dark skin and parted black hair and wore glasses.

Maloney crossed his arms. He had light brown hair that was cut short. "I wasn't there at the beginning, that woman- Ainsley as she's calling herself- claimed that Hawkins attacked her." He explained. "She says she killed him in self defense…"

Kumadia put his stethoscope in his white lab coat. "Interesting… perhaps she might have some bit of information that might help explain this…" He remarked. "Could you please bring her here?"

Maloney nodded. "Oh course…" He spoke and turned to leave.

The other man called to him. "Oh, and try and use a bit of discretion- we don't want the strangers to feel unwelcome." He added with a strange smile.

"I'll… try." Maloney replied and shook his head. He exited the room.

Kumadi waited till the door closed and took a small communicator out of his pants pocket. "Yes, Grace… could you join me in the secondary labs later on?" He asked. "I'd like to make some recordings on the condition of Hawkins…"

**.o.o.o.**

"So, any idea what exactly this place is?" Janise asked as she leaned back on the black sofa.

Dianna, who was standing against the wall on the other side of the room, looked over her shoulder at her. "I think this place is some sort of refinery… I'd guess it's a methane refinery."

The door slide open and Maloney stepped in. "You're very observant." He remarked with a smile.

Cray and Janise regarded him silently as he approached Dianna. "We'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened out there- you can tell what happened to our Medical Officer, Dr. Kumadi."

"What about us?" Janise asked. "Are we just going to be stuck in this room indefinitely?" She continued.

The man observed her. "This is all a safety precaution- this complex is a high security facility, so you're going to have to put up with being 'baby-sat' a bit longer." He explained.

He turned back to Dianna. "Please come with me."

Dianna nodded and glanced over at Cray and Janise, offering them a reassuring smile, as she followed Maloney out of the room.

**.o.o.o.**

Foster checked the monitor back in front of him. The countless security cameras fed a continuous live feed back to him. Here, he could observe the activities of the complex and make sure things stayed in working order.

He sipped his coffee and jotted down a few quick notes. He paused when he noticed something- a small, brief shadow peaking out from behind a corner at the end of a hall. He set the cup down and looked again… but it was no longer there.

"…Must be my imagination." He grumbled and picked the cup back up.

The lights flickered for a moment. He paused and glanced around. Foster set the cup down again. He pressed a button an an intercom came to life. "Salazar, this is Foster."

"…what do you want?" A voice asked wearily.

"The lights just flickered for a moment, did you notice anything?"

There was a sigh. "I'm almost finished checking the generator right now- it's nothing to worry about Foster… you're just getting paranoid." Salazar replied. "I'll report back in about an hour."

"Right."

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna was motioned into the large room. She stepped in and noticed a man sitting behind a desk at the end of the room.

"Thank you Maloney, you can leave now if you like." Kumadi offered with a smile.

The other man was quiet for a moment and then glanced over at Dianna briefly before nodding and leaving the two of them alone.

Kumadi clapped his hands together lightly. "Where are my manners- please, sit down." He offered, gesturing towards another chair in front of the desk.

Dianna nodded cheerfully and sat down before him. "So, you want to ask me a few questions about what happened?" She asked.

Kumadi took on a serious expression and nodded. "Yes… I'm afraid that I must pursue this matter professionally… despite the grisly nature of what happened." He explained. He leaned back. "Now… you say that Hawkins attacked you?"

Dianna nodded coolly. "I walked up to him- at the moment he was kneeling over the other man." Dianna spoke. "He turned towards me and made as if to attack- I warned him that I would defend myself- but he just went at me like an animal."

Kumadi nodded. "This brings up a few other things," He paused. "First, what are you and your friends doing here?"

"We're trying to find the island where Cray- the fox hybrid- is from, he's lost and suffering from amnesia." Dianna explained. "We've been exploring this chain of islands now we've ended up here."

Kumadi leaned forward and looked at her. "Now, you said that you found Hawkins standing over Sheehan, what was he doing?" He asked in a serious tone.

Dianna thought about it for a moment. "As far as I could see, he was pressing his hand down over his face… that man, Hawkins, was in a strange state when I encountered him." Dianna added, remembering the strange form that was Hawkins.

The green skinned woman suddenly smiled and crossed one leg over the other. "You know, we can go on talking about this if you like, but I think there's something else you want to know." She explained. "How about we get down to business?"

The man smiled back at her and removed his glasses. "Yes, I agree- I never really cared for pretenses." He paused and looked back at her. "I'm suspicious by nature, and I think that you have just as many questions for me as I have for you."

Kumadi looked to the side for a moment. "I find it hard to believe that first- three strangers simply stumble unto an uncharted island in the south pacific. And as that happens- a strange weather phenomenon suddenly begins. And on top of that- one of our team members turns on another for no reason."

Dianna nodded. "But what's the connection?" She asked coolly.

The man smiled back at her. "There's the rub… you see, while everything up to this point has been an extraordinary series of 'coincidences'- there isn't actually a common factor to them all."

Kumadi stood up. "Miss Ainsley, I want to show you something…"

**.o.o.o.**

Janise huffed and turned around, but noticed Cray's distant expression. "Cray…?" She began, touching his shoulder.

He turned around and looked at her. "Janise, something's going on here- something serious…" He spoke.

"I know what you mean- they're giving us the runaround for sure—"

"No!" Cray interrupted. "I mean something that they're not aware of… I have a bad feeling about all of this." He added, standing up and turning away from her. "…It's the same way I felt when we were trapped in that dream world…" He added.

Janise got to her feet and approached him. "Cray… you're being paranoid… nothing's going on here." She replied. "You've been through a lot of stressful things and it's affecting your judgment- that's all."

Cray turned around and looked at her. "No, its serious… something's here, on this island and in this complex… something dark and evil." He told her. "I feel it just as clearly as if a shadow were being cast over me."

He paused and took her hand- his furry one gripping her smaller smooth one. "Janise- We're all in danger here!" He exclaimed.

**.o.o.o.**

The door slid open and Kumadi looked into the lab. He stepped into the room and motioned for Dianna to join him.

Dianna came to a hault when he stopped and grew quiet. "Where is he?" He asked to no one in particular.

"Who?" Dianna asked, walking up beside him.

"Sheehan," Kumadi paused. "He's… gone." The two of them stood there and looked on at the empty bunk before them.

The lights went out!

**.o.o.o.**

Salazar finished whipping his hands off and began putting his equipment away. There was a sudden noise and the generator stopped, casting him in darkness. "What the hell now?!" He cursed.

The dark haired man walked over and checked the main fuse box. "I just replaced this one yesterday…" He crumbled, not really noticing that the hatch was open even though he had closed it earlier…

He quickly began mending the junction box.

**.o.o.o.**

Janise reached into her pocket and pulled out her flashlight. She clicked it on and shined in the direction of the door. The doorway was open. She guessed that the power failure must have tripped the mechanisms in the facility's doors.

The only light was the glowing beam from Janise flashlight and the emergency lights and illuminated them with a ghoulish yellow glare. She stuck her hand out behind her and felt Cray's take hers. Somehow, she took comfort in this and the pair of them moved towards the door.

Janise looked out of the doorway and down the corridor. She stepped out, with Cray following. She felt strangely powerful at that moment- she had to take the lead, assume the responsibility and be the reassurance for another.

The young woman shined the light down the corridor and stopped. There was someone lying face down in the hall. She rushed over to him and knelt down beside him. Cray rolled him over and Janise gasped.

Maloney was now staring up at the ceiling; his lulling eyes gazing upward as blood slowly ran from a deep cut that ran all the way across his throat.

She tried to cover her mouth. "Oh shit!" Janise swore and stumbled back, knocking both Cray and herself over. The fox hybrid groaned when the base of his tail bumped the hard floor.

She looked over at Cray. "…he's dead." She told him softly.

**(- End of Chapter 15 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Not much to say here… drop me some reviews if you like this, otherwise I'll see you guys later.

Special Thanks to The Toltec, Carlos Angulo, KuroKitsune-Chan, Q-Reaper, and everone else.

-Bojack727


	16. Chapter 16: Creatures

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN **

**Chapter 16: _"Creatures" _**

**.o.o.o. **

Cray felt cold and stiff. The fact that this man was before them, seemed to add a terrible life to his premonition. He had felt frightened when he came to the conclusion, but now he felt sick. He got onto his feet and leaned back against the wall. "Oh god…"

Janise backed up across the floor and stumbled up onto her feet. She turned and yelled at Cray to follow her. "Come on!" She cried out and the two of them quickly began rushing down the hall. Her eyes blurred as they began water of their own accord. Jolts of fear shot through her.

They headed towards the nearest corner. The hall was black, accept for the emergency lights. Janise struck someone in the dark and bounced off, only to be caught by Cray, who appeared behind her in time.

**.o.o.o. **

"I can't believe this happens right now of all times." Kumadi exclaimed, glancing around the room.

Dianna shook her head. "Actually, it sort of makes sense if you think about it." She began. "Sheehan has vanished- and you said that he was effectively immobile, right?"

Kumadi nodded. "As best as I could gather from my observations- he should have remained in that coma-like state." He replied.

"Yet in spite of that, he's gone… but if you think about that fact that the last person he came in contact with before losing consciousness was Hawkins… who was also afflicted," she paused. "It would stand to reason that whatever was affecting Hawkins at the time has now been passed on to Sheehan."

"What's been passed on?" Kumadi asked, annoyance audible in his voice.

Dianna held up her hands. "I don't know… But I think somehow something had entered Hawkins' body and changed him… and now Sheehan is the carier of the infection." She offered. "And I believe that Sheehan- or whatever he's becoming- caused the power failure as is loose in the complex as we speak."

Kumadi nodded. "I don't like your train of thought… if that's the case, then the others are scattered around this place and Sheehan is on the loose." He replied. "Wait, Grace is probably in the labs right now."

"What, do you mean she's alone?" Dianna asked incredulously. "She could be in incredible danger."

"We have to get to her!" Kumadi exclaimed as he looked at her.

Dianna nodded. "Right then, you lead the way…"

**.o.o.o. **

Grace fidgeted and chewed her knuckles as she stood in the dark lab alone. Everything was deathly silent and dark. She glanced around nervously, and flinched when she heard a sudden noise.

She turned around painfully slow and spotted Doctor Kumadi and a strange green-skinned woman in a dark coat enter the room.

"Doctor?!" She exclaimed in relief.

Kumadia made his ways over to her. "Grace, have you seen any of the others?" He asked her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"No, you're the first people I've seen since the lights and the other systems went out." She admitted. "Do you know what's going on?" Grace then looked over at Dianna. "And who is she?"

"I'll explain later…" He began. "And in regards to what's going on … no I don't… but I have a few theories now… none of them very good." He added gravely, letting her go and turning back to Dianna.

"I don't suppose you have—"

Then, suddenly, the power came back on and the room was flooded with light. Everyone shielded their eyes for a moment while they readjusted to the glare of the fluorescent lights in the ceiling.

"Doctor," Dianna began and she stood at the end of the room where the wall had rows of cryogenic chambers built into it. She turned and motioned for him. "You'd better take a look at this…"

Kumadi joined her and looked down at the smooth floor, at puddle of black murky liquid. The surface was then disturbed by a drop of identical liquid striking the small puddle. It rippled slightly, though it was too thick and dark to see anything reflected in it.

It appeared to be leaking out of one of the chambers at one corner. Kumadi looked down at it. "What the hell?" He thought out loud. "This is the chamber we put Hawkins' body in…" He added.

He reached over and gripped the large valve handle on the door and turned it to the side. There was no hiss of air, which meant that the vacuum seal was broken. The moment the hatch swung open, both of them stepped back as thick black fluid poured out of the chamber.

From her vantage point, grace shrieked in horror at the spectacle. Dianna instinctively pulled Kumadi back from the gushing liquid, afraid of what might happen if they came in contact with it.

"Oh my god…" Kumadi mumbled as Dianna pulled her handkerchief out of her pocket and over her mouth. She peered inside and all that now remained in the chamber was a oozing, soppy mess. Black lumps and unrecognizable parts were all that remained of Hawkins now.

_"Doctor Kumadi, can you hear me?" _

The three of them looked down at the communicator on his belt. Kumadi pulled it off and spoke back into it. "Yes, is that you, Foster?" He asked nervously, looking away from the dark mass before them.

"Power is back on now… but I haven't gotten in contact with the others yet… and the two strangers are no longer inside the rec. room."

"Damnit, don't tell me they're gone too?" Kumadi exclaimed in irritation.

The door slid open and Janise was ushered into the room by Friedland, who entered after her. The brown-haired girl ran over to Dianna.

Before Dianna could ask where Cray was, Friedland sighed loudly and rubbed her temples. She removed her glasses and looked around. "I found these two wondering around in the halls during the black out and…" She paused.

Everyone was silent while she collected her thoughts. Janise looked about nervously as the blond woman licked her lips. Janise met Dianna's gaze briefly and then looked down.

"Maloney is dead… his throat was slit." Friedland announced, the words hitting the assembled staff like an explosion. "I found her and that hybrid running away from the spot where his body was."

Dianna stepped forward. "Don't tell me you're suggesting that they killed him?!" She demanded.

Friedland shook her head. "No… not really," she began. "The girl certainly couldn't have overpowered him… but I can't vouch for your friend." She added. "When I encountered them, the girl almost fainted and he… well, he ran away."

Dianna stepped forward. "How dare you?!" She exclaimed. "He isn't capable of something like that… something as monstrous as that!" She added, clenching her fist.

"Quiet! All of you!" Kumadi called out. "Now I don't know what the hell is going on here- but I will not allow wild accusations to fly." He continued.

"I'm going after him." Dianna announced and headed towards the door.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Kumadi spoke. "There's a man out there- a killer!" He stated. "Sheehan could come after you!"

"Sheehan?" Friedland asked abruptly. "What does he have to do with this?"

Dianna sighed. "Ask Kumadi." She said simply. "I have more important things to do."

Janise made to follow her. "I'm coming with you, you might need—"

Dianna whirled around. "Absolutely not!" She nearly screamed. "You're going to stay in this room with the others while I find Cray." Dianna continued. "I'm not going to listen to your arguments… Cray is," She paused.

"…my lover and my responsibility." She added in an edgy tone. "And it's my fault that you're trapped here with us." She added, looking at Janise. "I brought you here, and now I have to see to it that you make it through this."

She then turned to the others. "Give me a communicator."

Grace reached into her coat pocket and pulled her out. She tossed it to Dianna, who caught it effortlessly.

"I'm going out now… and I may be gone sometime." Dianna said and stepped out of the room. Everyone watched as the door closed behind her

**.o.o.o. **

Dianna stopped in the halls and looked up at one of the security cameras. She turned on her communicator. "Foster, can you hear me?" She spoke into it. "Repeat, Foster- can you hear me?" She asked again.

Her words were met with silence…

She sighed and put the communicator back into her coat pocket and glanced around. After a moment, she noticed a directory sign. One of the arrows pointed in the direction that surveillance room was. She nodded to herself and set off down the corridor.

Dianna stopped when she heard a thumping sound. She glanced over at an open doorway and noticed that something was stopping the door from sliding all the way shut. The sign on the door read

Crew Quarters: 

James Henderson

Robert Ponti

She pressed down on a panel next to the door and it opened all the way up. She then bent down and picked up the object. It was a coffee cup- it had a crack running across it and it seemed that the coffee and leaked out of it.

She stepped into the room and looked around. The chamber was small and the walls on either side had recessed bunks in them. She turned to the left bunk and looked at a compartment below it. She pulled it out, noting a small ornate revolver with the letters 'R.P.' engraved on the handle.

She turned to the other bunk across from the first. The curtain was drawn across the right bunk. She took a step forward and slowly reached forward and pulled it open.

A fair-skinned man tumbled out of the bunk and onto the floor. Dianna jerked back and glanced around. She turned around and looked over at a ventilation hatch on the wall, where it met with the roof. She heard a faint shuffling noise and then silence. "What the hell…?" She thought out loud.

She kneeled down and checked the man's name tag. "… Henderson." She repeated to herself. From the look of things… it appeared as if he was strangled. She then turned back towards the door, chewing her lip slightly. "…and Cray is still out there."

The door slid open and Foster entered the room. He stopped and smiled at her. "It's you…" He began, "what's going on here?" He asked and then noticed Henderson's body on the ground.

"Shit…" He swore as he looked down at it. "Have you seen the others?" He asked, getting back onto his feet.

Dianna made her way towards the door and paused. "They're in the labs…" She replied. "But I need you to help me with something." She added, turning back to face him.

Foster spoke up. "Wait, I need to know where the others are first and then I'll help you find Cray."

Dianna was silent for a moment, slowly turning around to face him. "…How did you know I was looking for him?" She asked. "Let alone his name for that matter?" She added, becoming tense.

Foster was silent. "I overheard you talking to him earlier…" He replied uneasily.

Dianna narrowed her eyes. "You're lying… I never even spoke to them until after _you_ left to go check on things… Who or what are you?"

Foster was quiet for a moment but suddenly looked right at her and smiled. "You're a clever one…" He began. "We are a form of life- a superior form." He continued. "We have waited in the hearth of this land for many years… and now," He paused. "Our time has come…"

Suddenly, he lunged at her knocked her back, through the sliding door- launching it off its rails and flat onto the floor of the hall. Dianna crashed down onto the door and gasped for air as she rolled onto her side.

Foster turned her onto her back and pressed his boot-clad foot down onto her chest and began pressing down into her sternum. She gasped in pain and tried to force him back, but he just held his ground and pushed into her with the heel of his boot with inhuman strength.

"You kind are all so weak… you'll all be so much better when all are joined as one." He spoke, pushing harder into her.

The weight was going right against her sternum, making it hard for her to breath- soon her breast bone would crack under the substantial force! She actually felt tears of pain run from her eyes.

…it hurt so bad. She was about to cry out when something happened.

_"Oh my god! Dianna! Quick, get over here!!!" _

_"Shit, what the hell?!" _

Dianna recognized the first voice as Cray; the second was a mystery to her.

**.o.o.o. **

Everyone turned around as the door slid open. Ponti stepped into the room and looked around frantically. "Foster's gone crazy!" He exclaimed. "Some kind of monster is out there- we have to get to a safe place!" He said between gasps for air.

"Where are the others?" Friedland asked.

"… Henderson… is dead…" He paused. "Salazar is out there with the green woman and the fox hybrid…" He finished. "Now quickly, we have to get out of this place!"

"And move through those halls while Sheehan and Foster are out there?" Friedland complained. "That's insane."

"No, he's right." Janise interrupted. "We're too vulnerable here." She added and turned to Kumadi.

"The storage areas should be safe." Kumadi offered. "They're blast-proof because of the explosives and weapons kept there." He added.

"Sounds good to me!" Janise exclaimed.

"Quick, Ponti- take Friedland and the girl to the storage rooms." Kumadi instructed Ponti. "Grace and I will join you in a moment."

The other man nodded and motioned for the two women to follow him out of the room.

**.o.o.o. **

Cray ran up and Salazar appeared next to him, carrying a large rifle. "Foster, what the hell are you doing?! Stop!" He exclaimed.

Dianna gagged. "He's not… Foster… anymore…" she spoke in a small whimper of a voice.

"Get the fuck away from her or I'll shoot!" Salazar ordered. "Do it NOW!" He screamed.

Foster turned to him. "Don't worry; you'll get your turn in a moment…" He told them as he continued.

Suddenly, for a moment, there was dead silence… and then a bullet struck Foster and knocked him back.

Dianna rolled onto her side and did something that she hadn't done in a long time- not since she had been alone with Kino and thought about her daughter…

She cried; tears streamed down her face. She hurt badly, but the emotions and thoughts flying around her head were too much for her. She covered her eyes and wept violently.

Cray raced over to her and embraced her. He had never seen her like this. It hurt him so much to see her cry. He'd always counted on her to be his emotional support… a port in the storm… someone who always had a handle on things. But now she was shivering in his arms and crying into his shirt.

He held her tighter, caressing her back as they remained on the floor of the hallway. He felt himself on the verge of crying, but fought it back. He had to be there for her now… he had to be her support. It was really in that moment that he realized just what she meant to him.

_I love her…_

He had never been as close to anyone as he was with Dianna- the woman had changed his life and he couldn't imagine not having her in his life. Cray looked down at her, right into her tear-filled eyes- amidst all the chaos. Dianna suddenly something in him- there was strength in his expression, and it soothed her tattered nerves.

Foster stumbled back. The bullet had struck him in the shoulder. He looked down at the wound. A strange reddish-black fluid dripped out of the entry wound. He looked over at Salazar and smiled as the man stepped past Dianna and Cray.

"You don't know what you're dealing with, you're out of your—"

Salazar fired on him again. This time, square in the chest- Foster stumbled back again and looked back at Salazar just as he clicked something into position on the rifle and fired on him.

Rapid-fire shots tore into Foster. The man went stumbling backwards off balance and hit the floor. Blood began to pool rapidly around his prone form.

Salazar looked down at Cray and Dianna. "You two, get the hell out of here right now!" Cray scooped up Dianna into his arms and got to his feet and- with one last look- left.

Salazar pulled the clip out and inserted a new one. He cocked the rifle and aimed at the man. Then, Foster jumped back onto his feet and shot right up into the ceiling and snaked into the exposed air duct.

Salazar swore out loud and headed towards the rec. room.

**.o.o.o. **

Kumadi turned to Grace once the others left the room "Quick! Help me gather up some equipment." He told her.

"What for?" She asked frantically, looking around the room.

Kumadi tucked a laptop under his arm from off of a desk. He then grabbed a test tube and scooped some of the back liquid on the floor. "Because if we can analyze this- we might be able to find out how to stop whatever the hell this is."

Grace nodded and turned around started placing equipment into a nearby metal suitcase. At that moment, the wall burst open and a tall figure emerged.

Grace screamed as it took a step forward and grabbed hold of her. The creature looked vaguely like Foster- shreds of the man's boiler suit still clung to its slick lumpy form.

"Grace- run!" Kumadi cried out as the frightened girl gazed in horror at the thing before her.

It advanced on her and grabbed onto her, pulling the young woman against it. A large sinuous arm slithered around Grace's throat while a hole opened up in the other hand- this one like a claw.

"DOCTOR—"

The hand came down over her face and smothered her in a flood up black fluid that seemed to burn into her. Kumadi could hear her muffled screams for a moment until they ceased.

_It_ dropped Grace's body and looked at him. Its face parted to reveal rows of distended fang-like teeth. It began walking towards him.

(- End of Chapter 16 -)

**.o.o.o. **

As always, lots of thanks to everyone who's reading this. I've still got a good amount of storytelling left to do.

If you're wondering about the graphic nature of this story- it's because I've really wanted to do something with some serious carnage again. This time, however, it's relevant to the story. Not just some gore-fest like that one chapter in my previous story.

I'm also proud of this chapter because it has another wonderful thing in it- important character development: Dianna and Cray's relationship really reached a new level in this chapter.

Later,

-Bojack727


	17. Chapter 17: Legion

Well, I've enjoyed working on this project. And even though, there's been a lull it reviews, I'm going to continue to update this. I made a commitment to myself that this series would be completed as it will prove very important to overall series that I've been working on over the years.

This year will be the 5th anniversary of when I joined and started writing for this sight. I've written a lot of stories- some good, and that no longer even exist anymore (sigh…). For anyone who still reads this- I'm doing this for you guys and myself.

Special thanks to my newest reviewer: Hal 10000. Also, thanks to The Toltec, QReaper, and lots of thanks to Carlos Angulo, who's enlisted now and much missed.

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Chapter 17: "Legion"**

**.o.o.o.**

Salazar jammed another clip into the rifle he was holding and turned around in time to see Ponti, Friedland, and Janise come running down the hall. "Where the hell are the others?" He exclaimed.

"Doctor Kumadi and Grace are on the way…" Ponti gapsed. "Everyone else is either with us or dead!"

"What, we have to get everyone to a safe place." Salazar announced.

"We can hold up in the storage area, that's where we were headed anyway." Friedland explained.

"Take her with you and catch up with the other two strangers and get them all there!" Salazar told her.

Freidland nodded and motioned for Janise to follow her.

Salazar looked over at Ponti and handed him another rifle. "Quick, come with me."

**.o.o.o.**

The door slid open to the lab and Kumadi was pulled aside.

Salazar and Ponti rushed forward and opened fire on the creature that was once Foster.

Several dozen rounds tore through him, blowing open large holes in its mass. Streams of black and crimson began squirting out it. Tentacles writhed and flapped about as dozens upon dozens of wounds opened up.

The Creature could tell it was loosing control of the situation- it was taking too much damage to succeed against the humans. It had to defy the hundreds of microscopic voices inside it and turned to escape through the way it came.

The two men continued to fire on it as it tried to escape. They began advancing after it while it moved.

The tentacle-like appendage blew off of the creature as it was relentlessly struck by the gunfire. It couldn't even really see much of anything now- one of its eyes had also been blown off in the attack.

Salazar tossed his empty rifle aside and wielded the thing he had slung over his shoulder. He ran forward and shot a jet of flames out of the weapon he was holding. The flamethrower hit its mark and set the monster ablaze.

It panicked and began staggering around in directions, no longer capable any real logic. Its back was on fire and it could parts of its body bubbling and boiling as they burned away.

Salazar slowly followed it; blasting it again when it's front became visible in its madness. Now its mouth was breathing in pure fire and its insides blazed. The man grit his teeth and shot another jet of fire right at it.

The massive form burned like a human flare before Kumadi's eyes. The moment was like nothing he had ever seen before.

Salazar took a step back as the monster slowed and stumbled a bit before collapsing. He grabbed onto Kumadi's arm and pulled him up. "Quick- come on!" He yelled

**.o.o.o.**

Freidland frantically entered the security code and the doors to the holding sector slid open.

Cray, who was carrying Dianna, rushed into the room, and then Janise. Freidland gapsed for breath before stumbling into the room with them as the door slid shut behind after her.

Cray set the unconscious Dianna down on the ground carefully and sat down next to her. He glanced down at her, noting that she was totally limp. "J-Janise… I'm sorry…" He paused. "I didn't mean to abandon you like that."

The brown-haired girl leaned up against one of the walls and slid down into a sitting position with her knees pulled up against her chest. "Don't worry about it." She shrugged and closed her eyes.

Friedland walked over and kneeled down beside Cray and Dianna. "Your friend, what happened to her?"

The fox looked up at her and sighed. "That man, Foster… he did this to her." He replied and ran a hand through her hair and rubbed her cheek and jaw with his palm.

Friedland sat down and crossed her legs. "You really care about her, don't you?" She asked, taking her glasses off and tucked them into her shirt breast pocket.

Cray nodded and smiled weakly. "She's the bravest person I've ever known… she's changed my life." He replied. "I don't know what I'd do with out her…"

Friedland slipped her lab coat off and tossed it off to the side. "I'm sorry that you're caught up in this mess." She began. "The three of you shouldn't even be here."

Janise looked up. "…I don't think anyone should be here."

"Why are the three of you here in the first place?" The blond woman asked.

"It's because of me… she's been helping me find my home." Cray explained. "We've been searching this chain of islands to find where I came from…"

Friedland looked at him and became silent as she thought of something. "When we surveyed the area, we found a island very close to here where fox hybrids like you lived."

Cray and Janise looked up suddenly, almost in unison.

**.o.o.o.**

The three men rushed down the halls, toward the holding sector. Suddenly Kumadi gasped and stumbled forward.

Salazar and Ponti turned around as a large dark mass bust out of his coat pocket, sending glass shards flying. He cried out and frantically flung his coat off. His hip and the base of his shirt were smeared with some of the black mess.

"What the hell is that?!" Ponti exclaimed.

"Hawkins… his remains." Kumadi gasped out as he clutched his side.

The blob began to move across the floor as they looked at it. "It's fucking alive!" Salazar exclaimed. "And what the hell do you mean that's Hawkins?" He demanded.

"…I see now…" Kumadi began, holding his side. "…everything we've seen- it's all part of it." He added. "The virus that infected Hawkins is actively spreading… But it's alive." He paused.

Kumadi lifted his hand up and looked at his palm. "The virus… it's taking over everything it comes into contact with… but it's all the same thing." He explained to them, holding his palm up.

They saw his blood and the black substance mixed together. Kumadi looked at them. "I can feel it now- it's in me… The Legion." He gasped and fell onto his knees and coughed out blood.

The blob rolled past Kumadi and towards an open door. Salazar stepped forward to say something when Ponti called out.

Both of them looked up to see a form emerge. It was a human shape, with arms and legs, but its entire body was slick and dripped the same black fluid. It walked over to Kumadi and placed its hand on his face.

"…Hawkins…?" Ponti gasped in realization.

"You've got to be fucking kidding?!" Salazar exclaimed as he shot a stream of fire at the creature.

It released Kumadi- who dropped over, motionless- and held up its arm defensively. The fire hit the arm and set it ablaze. It looked at the limb with it's faceless head and then back over at the two men.

Salazar and Ponti stepped back away from it. "I think we just pissed him off." Salazar remarked as she motioned for Ponti to get away. "Shit!" He exclaimed as he looked at the thing again.

The dripping creature suddenly pulled it arm back and swung in their direction. The result was the fire leaving the arm- as burning droplets went flying at them.

The two men swore and turned to run away as the flames splattered around in their general direction.

**.o.o.o.**

Janise looked over her shoulder at the door. "Wait- I thing I just heard something." She told Friedland and Cray as she got to her feet and walked over to the door. "Someone is coming." She added.

"It must be the others!" Friedland replied as she got to her feet and made her way over to the door. Janise nodded at her and then pressed a button on the wall and the door slid open.

Salazar and Ponti stumbled into the room. "Close the door!" Ponti exclaimed as he stumbled onto the floor.

Janise grabbed Friedland by the arm and pulled her away from the door as a dripping figure barged into the room.

Cray looked up in horror as it moved towards him. He looked down at Dianna and then back up at it and grabbed the closest thing he could reach- an old oxygen tank in this case- and ran at it.

The Hawkins monster blocked its head with its arm as Cray swung the oxygen tank right at it- resulting in a reverberating clanging sound. It stepped back and then struck Cray and sent him crashing over a crate.

Salazar ran over and was about to fire on it when Janise rushed up beside him. "No wait!" She exclaimed and held up a fire extinguisher.

A murky white blast of smoke hit the creature and it stumbled back away. Janise rushed over so that she was lined up with the door and the creature was in the middle.

She blasted it again, forcing it towards the door. Another burst from the extinguisher sent it stumbling into the door frame. And with one last blast, it was knocked back into the hall. She fired again, through the open door, and rushed over to press the button to shut the door again.

"What the hell was that thing?" Friedland cried out as she looked around.

Ponti moved to help Janise get Cray back onto his feet. "It's Hawkins." He answered.

Friedland suddenly became very silent and looked over at Salazar, who merely nodded in agreement with the other man. "…The others?"

Slazar let go of the rifle and looked away. "All the others are dead…"

Cray and Janise looked at him, along with Friedland, when the words reached them. "Everyone else is dead- the creatures- like that thing- killed them all." He informed them in a dark tone.

"That's it?" Friedland yelled back. "So that's really it? At this rate, we'll all be dead long before the rescue team gets here."

Salazar sat down and covered his face with his hands. "I image we'll all be dead long before they ever come." He replied. "But I'm sure that Hawkins and whatever the hell else is out there will be waiting to meet them."

Janise looked over at Cray and then Ponti, and finally back at Salazar. "The hell with that- we've got to kill those things!"

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Salazar snapped back at her. "The weapons had no effect on that thing!"

"We use our skills and resources against them- did you see when I hit it with the extinguisher?" Janise yelled. "It clearly didn't like it." She explained. "That's the key to stopping it."

Janise got to her feet. "This room is the storage area for the whole complex; we have whatever we could need at our disposal." She explained and pointed at the various containers and equipment.

"How did you know that the extinguisher would hurt that thing?" Ponti asked Janise as she looked around.

The girl turned and looked over at him. "I guessed." She replied. "…If you couldn't burn it, then maybe you can freeze it." She added.

"How is that going to help us?" Salazar asked, tucking his hands in his pockets.

She smiled. "Is there any liquid nitrogen here?" She asked.

Friedland nodded. "Yes, cryogen chambers use it." She paused. "There should be some around here."

**.o.o.o.**

Ponti set down the large cylinder of liquid nitrogen and Janise attached a tube to it and began siphoning it into a smaller cylinder. She finished and turned it but off the flow and turned to the others.

"This ought to be enough to freeze the _sonovabitch_." She explained. "I rig this up to a jet sprayer and that should do it."

"What then?" Salazar asked.

"You blow him up." She told him with a smile. "Can any of you make some sort of bomb?" she asked.

Friedland got back up onto her feet and smiled. "There should be explosives from when they were blasting out the area when they built this place."

"That other man," Cray began. "The one we brought back, he's still out there." He added.

"Yes, Sheehan is out there." Friedland remarked. "And based on what you've told us about how these things work, I think that they're mutating differently each time."

"So what you're saying is that they're getting stronger?" Janise asked.

"Kumadi called them _Legion_- as in 'Our name is Legion, for we are many'." Friedland explained. "Where's dealing with something that is learning very quickly- perhaps has been planning this since the beginning." She explained.

"_Many voices speaking as one…"_ Ponti muttered out loud as he looked at them.

Friedland looked at them. "Don't you see, we're dealing with a single collective mind." She told them. "The virus, the mutants, the fog… it's all the same thing."

"The virus must be in this island- its emergence must be part of the cycle that happens." Ponti offered. "No wonder there were no signs of life- the virus must have killed off anything living here long ago."

"I don't give a damn about these things or how long they've been here- I just want to know how to kill it!" Salazar exclaimed, looking at the others.

"Seven people have died because of them- and that's not counting anyone before that… This virus is just going to keep spreading and absorbs everything in its path." He paused. "It's not going to stop here either."

"He's right." Ponti began. "The rescue team will surely become infected and they'll carry it back to civilization!"

"It's us or them…" Janise observed as she got to her feet. "We have to stop the infection here and now."

"If my theory is correct, the progenitor of the infection- the original carrier- is still here, in the complex." Friedland told the others. "And I think it's Sheehan."

"But Hawkins was infected first." Salazar offered in response. "Shouldn't he be the one?"

The scientist shook her head. "Based on what Hawkins turning into- he's probably nothing more then a side affect of the chain of infection." She replied. "Anything else out there is a carrier agent, but Sheehan is probably the mind."

"Then we'd have to kill him to be certain." Ponti added.

"It's not that simple," Friedland began. "This organism is adaptive; whatever Sheehan will ultimately become will likely be immune to the weapons we've used up to this point."

"How about that?"

Everyone turned around in time to see Dianna on her feet and pointing at a large piece of equipment.

Janise ran over to her and hugged the green-skinned woman, before looking up at her. "You're alright?"

Dianna rubbed her back gently and then looked over at Cray, who blushed slightly. "Yes, I'm doing much better now- especially after I've head some time to think about this situation."

Salazar looked over at the object she had pointed at. "That's the laser cutting drill." He remarked.

"What can it do?" Dianna asked, walking over to it with Salazar.

The main body was about two and half feet long and octagonal in shape (each the diagonal facets being the narrow ones). It had marking to show where it would be mounted to a mechanical arm and a series of buttons on the top and panels to run power into it. From one end, a two inch wide shaft extended for about eighteen inches and a wider segment (about six inches long) that was grooved.

"At full power, it can punch a twelve inch hole through three feet of solid steel," Salazar began. "Or, it can remove the ice crystals from a snowflake one by one with surgical precision."

Dianna smiled. "This should do quiet well, do you think you can rig it up to work on a portable power source?"

He looked at her silently for a moment. "You can't be serious, at full capacity- it would drain a power cell in about 30 secants."

She ran a hand across it and smiled. "I doubt we'll need that long." She paused. "Can you do it?"

Salazar nodded. "With luck, yes."

"We'd stand a better chance if we could get into the security room." Friedland commented. "Then we could get control of the cameras and see what's going on."

"I don't know how to override Foster's security clearance." Salazar admitted and looked down at the floor.

Cray cleared his through nervously. "Actually, I was next to Foster when he used it to get into the complex- I remember it."

**.o.o.o.**

Salazar set the crate down in front of everyone and pried the lid off of it. He reached in and removed a green metal cylinder about 2 ½ inches across with device on the top that held a pin attached to a ring in it.

"These are demolition explosives- the effects of these things up close would be lethal to anything." He explained. "It's simple; you pull the pin and throw it- but be careful." He added, tucking explosive into a satchel and then placing several more in with it.

Friedland accepted the satchel and slipped it over her shoulder. She glanced over at Janise, who was stuffing rags down the necks of bottles and putting them into a bag. She then picked up the nitrogen blaster she had finished.

"Take this." Salazar spoke, handing Friedland a rifle.

She panicked. "B-but, I've never used one of these things before!" She exclaimed.

"You'll learn." He told her and made his way over to the laser drill and hooked a cable into the back of it through an open hatch.

"What's the plan of attack?" Dianna asked him. Cray was standing beside her.

"We kill everything that gets in our way." Salazar replied and then looked down at the drill. "Don't look directly into the laser- it'll blind you." He informed her and handed her a pair of red goggles. "These should cut down on it some."

Dianna slipped off her coat and handed it to Cray. She turned back to Salazar. "Any other suggestions?"

The man stood up and looked over at her. "Yes… pray." He said as he wiped his hands off and closed up the casing.

Dianna placed her hand on Cray's shoulder, stopping him as he started to walk. He paused and turned to look at her.

She smiled at him and placed her hand on his cheek gently. "You are my hero Cray, I hope you know that." She told him.

"…Dianna, you're wrong. I'm just a coward when it comes down to it." He replied.

"Cray," she began. "You were there for when I needed you- you protected me when I was vulnerable- you were the strength that I needed the most…" She paused and leaned forward to kiss him softly on the lips.

Dianna pulled back and looked him in the eyes. "Cray… you're my guardian angel." She told as she ran her fingers through his blond hair. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Dianna paused and looked towards the door. "Now come on, it's time for us to get moving." She told him as she picked up the laser drill.

**(- End of Chapter 17 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

I'm going to be pretty honest here- this was a very hard chapter to write. Not because I'm having trouble coming up with material, but because I've ended up with a linear storyline. Everyone is now together for the single thread of the plot. The next chapter will concluded this story arch.

Also, I hope that this chapter hasn't been too gruesome or weird. I know that gore isn't always a welcome aspect in my work. The Toltec warned me against it, and for the most part, I've headed that. But this storyline is a horror story, so it's relevant.

The next storyline will conclude the series. And while I can't say how many more chapters there will be or what will happen- I will comment that the end is something that I've been working on and envisioning for a while now. Dianna's story has turned out to be very fun for me to write and I hope that you've enjoyed following her too.

Oh yeah, go bug The Toltec about updating his story. I'm still waiting for the next chapter as well.


	18. Chapter 18: And the Tower Falls

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Chapter 18: "And the Tower Falls"**

**.o.o.o.**

The group had set out from the storage area, heading towards the central wing of the complex. Seizing the security room would be the first major step towards regaining control.

"How can you be sure you remember Foster's security code?" Salazar asked Cray as they moved along. "It's a ten-digit code that you could have only seen for a matter of secants." He added.

Dianna, who was carrying the large laser drill-turned-energy cannon, moved up ahead with them. "Cray has a photographic memory- he can recall things in perfect detail." She explained.

Friedland and Ponti caught up to them. The blond glared at them. "How timely…" She commented. "…but that still leaved us with a major problem." She added as Janise moved up into the group.

Salazar and Dianna looked over at her. "…These organisms are intelligent… and they've collected the information and experience of everything they've taken into them." The female scientist explained. "…If they have Foster's experiences, then they'll already know that the security room if the perfect place for us to counter them."

Dianna smiled. "Of course they're expecting us to do that, but we don't have any choice… we'll be fighting our way there if necessary."

Salazar looked over at her and nodded. "The rest of you wait here till it's all clear." He told the others.

He then turned to Cray and motioned for him to follow. "Alright kid, this is it." He told him simply and began moving towards the corner at the end of the corridor. He glanced around it and looked around and the two of them turned the corner and ran towards a large door. "We're here." He told the fox.

Cray nodded and kneeled down to get eye-level with the keypad. He began methodically studying it and then began entering the code. He smiled when a green light lit up and the door slid open. "I got it!" He exclaimed and got to his feet.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna set down the large laser drill and glanced around the corner. Salazar motioned for her to come. She picked up the weapon and quickly joined him and Cray in the security center.

Friedland looked over at Ponti and Janise. "I guess I'd better go next." She replied and began to move.

Something clamped down around Janise's arm and she let out a shriek of terror as it pulled at her. Ponti looked at the thing holding onto her. He recognized the man, he was pallid and his eyes were glassy and distant, but he still knew him.

"Henderson?!" Ponti exclaimed when he saw the man holding the girl. He raised his gun. "Let her go!" He exclaimed and disengaged the safety.

"Oh my god…" Friedland cried out and stepped back, just as something grabbed a hold of her. She looked over to see Kumadi restraining her. He still looked like the man he was, except now he was pale and discolored in certain places and there was a large black strain on the side of his coat.

Janise began elbowing Henderson, driving into his ribs as hard as she could. Yet, all she could fell was the senseless flesh sinking back only to reform. She yelped as he twisted her arm behind her- causing her to arch her back and clench her teeth.

Salazar appeared and grabbed onto Kumadi, trying to pull him off, but the corpse simply knocked him back- Salazar hit the wall and slid down.

Henderson began trying to drag Janise away, towards an open doorway- into a dark room. The brown-haired young woman suddenly remember something and grabbed the Molotov Cocktail from her satchel and smashed it over his head.

Briefly stunned, his grip slackened and she tore loose from him, loosing her jacket in the process! She turned to Ponti. "Quick! A lighter!" She exclaimed and grabbed the silver Zippo her held forward.

It flicked open and she threw it right at Henderson. The contact was enough to set his upper body ablaze. The first-class liquor burned with a fury over his body. Janise grabbed the rest of her things and nodded to Ponti.

They both watched him stumble back and fall over. "What sort of malt was that?" The young chemist asked the man in amazement.

He smiled at her. "Triple-distilled Russian Vodka." He replied. "Damned waist!"

**.o.o.o.**

Salazar reached for his gun and started to get up, just in time to see Grace looking down at him. Her eyes were now dark and oily and her face was burned and darkened. He fell silent and slid along the wall. "g-g-Grace…?!" He managed to get out.

She grabbed him by the throat and tossed him aside. She then moved towards the restrained Friedland and held up a hand.

The blond-haired scientist screamed as a slit opened up on her palm. She moved the hand towards the woman's mouth in a motion to cover it up. Salazar got onto his hands and knees and watched in horror as she placed her hand on Friedland's face like a surgical mask.

A hole blew through the head of the Grace-Corps and it fell to the ground and went limp. The body quickly began melting and turning into a massive puddle of black murky fluid.

The Kumadi-Corpse, that was still restraining Friedland, turned to see Dianna holding a smoking gun in her hand. She looked over at Salazar. "Quick, get her back to security with Cray!" She instructed.

The man nodded, and rushed over to pull her out of the way as Dianna stepped forward and aimed her gun at Kumadi

A shot pierced Kumadi's skull, but the thing didn't fall- and continued moving towards him. Tentacles began bursting out all over his body.

Dianna's eyes widened as she stepped back. "Get out of her now!" She screamed at Salazar, who scooped up Friedland and planted her over his shoulder and departed.

Dianna stepped back and moved towards the corner. "You want to kill me?!" She exclaimed, motioning towards herself frantically. "Come on! Come on!" She screamed as it slowly turned towards her and began moving.

"That's it; you want to paint the walls with me? Come and get me!" She yelled as she turned the corner.

The Kumadi monster turned the corner just in time to see Dianna brandishing a large piece of equipment slung over her shoulder. She pulled down her blast visor. "Now, turn the thing on!" she called out.

Salazar nodded and activated the power cell that was attached to the laser drill. He flipped off a cover and pressed down on a small button and turned another leaver before turning his back to Dianna. "All systems go!" He called.

She nodded. "Fire in the hole!" She cried out suddenly and pulled the trigger. Salazar curled up and put his hands over his head- swearing in the process.

At that very moment, a concentrated beam of light came forth. It was so unbearably bright that it seemed to cut through the very fabric of reality with its blinding luminosity. The beam filled the corridor with a blinding light- so bright that in the security room, Cray and Friedland almost couldn't cope with it on the screen they were watching.

That was all it took. A massive hole was punched through the thing and it exploded into pieces. The sound of its death was enough for Dianna to release the trigger- at which point, the super nova rescinded and things went back to normal.

Dianna pulled the visor off and looked around. "Holly shit…" she remarked as she examined the remains of the monster. "You weren't kidding about this thing." She added as she looked around.

"Quick, we have to get inside the room before more of these things come after us!" Salazar exclaimed as he got to his feet and began lugging the power cell away with him through the open door. "That… melting thing could be here any minute and it'll be some time before that thing has cooled off enough to fire again."

"I wouldn't worry too much about the tar man." Janise suddenly inserted as she appeared. She was supporting Ponti in the hall.

**.o.o.o.**

Janise crossed her arms and looked around the room at all the others. "So, what's our next move?" She asked them. "The way I see it, those things were nothing more then a temporary distraction for us."

"Well, we've taken care of them and now we can monitor things around here." Salazar offered. "And once the rescue team shows up- the remains of this little outbreak will be no problem at all."

"Rescue team?" Dianna asked abruptly as joined the others.

"That liquid thing is still out there." Ponti added as he sat in the room, looking at the wall. "So we've still got to deal with that."

He looked up at her. "Yes, the complex is set up to send confirmation signals every twelve hours to show that there are no problems." Salazar cleared his throat. "The system failure brought down the beacon and cut off signals for over two days- so a crew should have already been sent to investigate."

"From what I've heard, these things assimilated the knowledge of their victims." Janise remarked. "So, logically, they wouldn't have knocked out the beacon and put themselves under threat." She added. "Now wait!" She exclaimed.

The others watched the brunet as she stood up. "The function of a virus is to spread from one place to another and overtake everything along the way." She told them. "They want the rescue team to show up- then they can infect them and get out into the rest of the world!"

"Then it would be a worldwide epidemic." Dianna exclaimed. "We have to destroy whatever Sheehan has become along with every trace of the virus." She added. "We have to break the cycle!"

"He'd have to kill all of us to do that first." Friedland remarked. "Right now, we've got the upper hand- we're safe from him." She added nervously.

"No, we're not." Salazar responded gravely as she got to his feet. "This is a methane conversion facility- All he'd need is an explosion in the pumping station and the entire place would be burned out to a cinder."

"But he'd die too!" Friedland snapped back.

Janise looked at her. "No, he'd just mutate again- into something that could survive- probably his cells would become a spore in the rubble or something." She explained. "I imagine that at the rate of growth they've shown it would take only a single cell of this to threaten all life."

"I picking up some weird reading near the reactor room." Salazar told everyone.

"Then," Dianna paused. "Then we'll have to kill Sheehan first before he gets us." She finished. "He's the progenitor now- so if he goes, the cycle breaks down!"

"You have to make sure that nothing is left of him- he'd have to be completely obliterated." Janise reasoned.

Salazar nodded. "Right, I'd better go with you."

Dianna picked the laser drill back up and slung it over her shoulder. She handed the power cell and handed it to Salazar. "Come on, we're going hunting."

Janise got to her feet and looked Dianna in the eyes. "I haven't known you or Cray for very long, but in the short time I've spent with both of you… well, you two are the closest thing to family I have." She explained. "And now all I can do is just stand aside while you risk your life again."

Dianna looked at her. "Janise," she began. "Nothing is certain in life- we just have to do the best we can with what we know." She told her. "But I've learned from you too." She paused. "And now… I can't see a future for myself without either of you- so I have to do everything I can to make sure we get out of this alive."

Janise shrugged and then smiled. "You're the bravest person I've ever known." She told her and then handed her the liquid nitrogen blaster. "Here, use this on 'Melty' if you see him."

Dianna looked at the two of them and nodded. "I have to go now- but I'll see you guys when I get back." She finished and slung the laser drill over her shoulder and motioned for Salazar to follow.

The green-skinned woman made her way for the door and left the room without looking back or saying another word to them. The two could only stay behind and wait for her to come back to them.

Salazar gathered up the power unit and picked up his flame thrower. He turned to Friedland and Ponti. "Just to be safe, you guys should get ready to evacuate the complex."

Friedland glared at him. "How are we going to survive out there in that poisonous mist?" She exclaimed gesturing towards the direction of the front entrance of the complex.

"Use the survival suits in the lockers near the entrance..." Salazar replied simply. "And make sure that they get out along with you." He added, motioning towards Janise and Cray, who were looking on nervously as they spoke.

**.o.o.o.**

Salazar stepped out into the hall and ran a hand through his short black hair and turned to the female hybrid standing nearby. She looked over at him, her strange pinkish eyes regarding him calmly, as if waiting for him to make the next move.

Salazar waited for the door to slide shut behind him. "Do you think we'll succeed?" He asked her in a calm even tone of voice.

Her lips parted as she cleared her throat. "I don't know…" She began. "A lot of people have died already… so our chances may not be very good." She continued. Her hair shifted slightly as the station's air conditioning kicked in.

"However," Dianna paused. "I have no intention to sit idly by and allow these creatures to come kill me in some darkened room." She finished. "I've experienced transformation first hand, and I won't be overtaken by this organism."

Salazar nodded. "I had a feeling that you weren't what you appeared to be." He began. "But then again, few of us ever are." He went on to say. "I agree, no matter what happens, I've not going out with a fight either." He finished and tightened his grip around the handle of the flamethrower in his hand.

"You were a scientist, weren't you?"

She watched as he put out his hand and, in turn, accepted it and shook hands with him. She smiled. "In another life." She replied simply as she shook his hand. "And you?" she asked.

Salazar smiled back at her. "If we survive this mess, I'll tell you." He replied simply and she nodded. The two of them then set out for the heart of the infestation.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Salazar ran down the halls of the complex, turning into divergent paths and rounding corners as the moved. "That growth of bio mass… or whatever…" Salazar began. "It's located in the energy stacks." He told her as they moved.

Dianna smiled. "I guess our friend Sheehan's using the power from the stacks to feed that stuff." She paused. "I guess the only question now is what the heck is it?" She finished as the reached the end of another hall and got to a sealed door.

"I'll take care of this." Salazar remarked and pulled a panel off the wall and began pulling out the exposed wires and snapping them in half. Salazar took the ends of two different wires and touched them together- causing a spark to fire off.

"Crap, I'm almost done." Salazar remarked and touched another wire together. "All the shit going on around here, this blast door must have been triggered." He remarked as he pulled back from it.

"I guess that makes sense." Dianna commented as they stepped back while it raised up.

Salazar turned to her. "I'll go in first, no telling what might be waiting beyond this point." He explained with a nod to the green woman. He hunkered down and stepped under the rising door and into the hall on the other side of it. "It looks clear so far…"

Dianna nodded and proceeded after him. She paused when she felt her boot step in something wet. She looked down and noticed it was a thick murky black puddle. The surface rippled as a drop fell onto it. She looked up at the dripping vent cover just as it fell away and a black oozing mass slithered out of it and onto the ground.

"It's that thing!" Salazar called out as they booth stepped back- it stood between them now as it turned to face him. The man began backing away from it, recalling what had happened the last time.

"Quick, get away from it!" Dianna shouted as she dropped the laser drill and held up the Liquid Nitrogen gun. "Hey! Hey!" She yelled at it as Salazar backed away further. It turned towards her and began moving.

Dianna looked at Salazar. "Hurry, get to the area where the bio-mass is! Find and destroy it!" She ordered as she aimed at the thing and began readying the weapon. "Now! I'll be along shortly!" She watched him nod and leave.

It was moving towards her now. She aimed at it and fired a freezing cold blast at it. It stumbled when the blast hit and white icy clouds began forming around it. Dianna fired again, but this time continued blasting it all over as she pushed it further back.

It's body was now hardening and cracking as it tried to move, confused and not understanding it's predicament. It was blasted again- this time in the 'head' and shoulders.

Dianna leapt at it and knocked it into the wall- where its impact left a sizable dent in the structure! She backed away from it again as it held out its right arm towards her- only to have cracks run across it and chunks to splinter off before the arm exploded!

Dianna watched mystified as it seemed to take in the severity of its situation. A crack shot straight along its torso and a massive piece blew off of it in glistening fragments. Its legs bent, causing it to slink down, as the knee-joints on it fractured and broke up.

Its legs went to pieces and it fell onto its stomach. It reached out its remaining arm towards her, but it also exploded just at it's hand was at her foot. He raised its featureless face in her direction just moments before this too exploded and then rest of the body went with it.

Dianna sighed heavily. "You sure acted tough when you had the power…" She mumbled while looking at the remains on the floor. "But like any bully- you just go to pieces when someone fights back." She finished as she kicked small fragment.

**.o.o.o.**

The door opened and Salazar walked into the Energy Stacks. The large, high-roofed chamber housed massive power cells and energy conversion systems. The large central power cell was broken open and a strain reddish substance was overflowing out of it. Similar growths covered the majority of the chamber.

"Holy shit!" Salazar swore as he slipped off his backpack and opened it up. He turned on the large explosive inside it and held up the remote in his hand.

He ascended the metal steps up the catwalks that allowed access to the higher sections. He made his way across until he was standing before the massive cell. He glanced downward and saw that the massive thing was filled when a bubbling, churning… living pool of bio-matter. He dropped the backpack into it.

"Impressive isn't it?" A voice asked and Salazar whirled around in time to get backhanded off of the cat walk by Sheehan. He fell to the ground with a thud just as Dianna entered the massive chamber and saw him laying there.

"Salazar?!" She called out; she ran over to him and looked up at Sheehan- who was smiling down at her.

"As you can see, we've been making a lot of progress." Sheehan began as he leapt off of the cat walk and landed on the ground. He turned to her and continued speaking. "Your friend tried to destroy it, but I couldn't expect a man like him to appreciate the magnitude of it all."

"Appreciate?" Dianna asked him. "Appreciate?!!" She screamed. "You things are threat to all life on earth! So far I haven't been shown anything worth a damn!" She spat. "You're nothing more then walking, talking virus with a god complex!"

"No!" Sheehan replied. "You're wrong- we can do more then kill." He began. "I'll concede that the first few merges were flawed, but it's a complicated process and there's a lot of teething involved." He continued.

"Look at it from our point of view- we needed a way to integrate into a higher form of life- creatures with social structures and culture." He explained. "And I'll admit that it was an imperfect transition, but as you can see… I'm proof of the end result."

Dianna glared. "You really think that you can make me believe that all of this was just an unfortunate side affect of some huge master plan?!" She demanded. "What you call integration… I call infection and assimilation!"

"Don't be a fool." Sheehan told her. "We can give your kind so much- we have the power to bring order to chaos and unify all creatures under one singular mind." He continued. "That birthing pool you see- it's the genesis of a new world for all life on this planet! We are the fut—"

Dianna jumped when Sheehan went flying- having been shot in the head. She turned in time to see Salazar on the ground, holding a smoking gun in one hand. He grunted and managed to get to his feet. "Always did talk too much…" He remarked.

Dianna rushed over to help support him. He looked at her and held up his other hand, showing the remote to her. "It's time to detonate those charges." He informed her and pressed the button on it. "Quick, we have to get the hell out of this room and seal it off.

"But will it be enough to kill of all of this?" Dianna asked as they made their way out of the room, through the door. She glanced back through the doorway at Sheehan, who was flopping around on the ground, and sputtering.

Salazar got onto his feet and pressed in a code on the access panel. "The blast door is going down and the entire room with be sealed off." He replied. "But don't worry, the explosion will start off a chain reaction- each blown power cell will ignite another until the entire atmosphere burns…"

Dianna, with Salazar in tow, made her way down through the corridors of the complex to find the others. "You sure do seem to know a lot- especially about combat, munitions, weapons and so forth… who are you?" She asked coolly.

Just then, the entire area rumbled as the first explosion happened and the walls shook around them. They staggered forward a bit in the aftershock.

He smiled and glanced around as they moved. "I never did want to be involved in the war…" He began. "I thought it was just another pointless chapter in the long bloody history of humanity… but I was wrong." He paused.

Dianna glanced down at him as he spoke. They stumbled into a wall when the next explosion went off. This time, a grill flew of a vent and some light fixtures broke loose from the ceiling. They got back through the first blast door and Salazar fiddled with it again, making it shut.

"…When the stakes were the future of the entire human race- well, let's just say that the war with the monsters became everyone's problem." He sighed. "I enlisted- I figured it was the right thing to do. Still, part of me didn't believe in the struggle… even as people were dying all over the world."

"…But I stayed in and kept at it… and I got good at being a soldier." Salazar told her. "Too good… soon I found myself wondering what I was becoming… what the world was becoming." He continued. "And I got fed up…"

They had to crouch down as a third explosion went off and it seemed as if the entire complex shook from the blast. The lights flickered as simulated tremors shot through the infrastructure as the fourth blast occurred- followed by another one. After the fifth explosion, things finally seemed to be calming down.

The man paused again and looked over at her. "I just walked away from it all… I deserted and… when the war ended, I quietly took a job in this place where I thought I'd never have to fight again…" He laughed at his own words. "But I picked up the gun again and fought… I guess that the real conflict was in me and my fear."

Dianna nodded. "Well, it's over now… and the sun will rise again for all of us." She told him. "And that's something that you can take to heart." She replied. "Your journey isn't over yet."

Salazar nodded at her comment. "Dianna, I hope you find what you're looking for."

"So do I…" She answered. "Now we'd better get back- the other's will be worried."

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna placed her hat back on and began walking down towards the boat. She slowed down as Janise and Cray joined her. The three of them kept pace as they moved. "You know Janise," Dianna began. "You could stay here with the others and go back to the mainlands when the rescue team shows up." She said with a smile.

The girl nodded. "I know, and I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't considered it." She admitted as she tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "But still... I think that I'd rather be with you two." She then added with a smile. "I hope you don't mind." She finished as they neared the boat.

Dianna paused and placed her arm over her shoulders and looked at her. "It might be dangerous."

The other girl smiled and glanced at Cray- who smiled back at her- and then looked back at Dianna. "Well, what's life without a little danger?"

**(- End of Chapter 18 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Well, I'm glad that I got this chapter finished. I'm not finished with the series, but this the next storyline will be the last one and I'm pretty excited about it. My personal life has been pretty exhausting these days, but I've been trudging along.

I hope you enjoy your 4400+ word story.

Well, later…

-Bojack727


	19. Chapter 19: Found

BLUE SUB: GAIDEN

I know it's been ages since I posted any Blue Sub related works, but I was going through a stressful time recently and I never had any time or energy. But, this story had burned me out for a long time and writing for it was getting harder and harder.

Writing the last three story arcs was a lot of fun, but the ever increasing complexity of them quickly took its toll on me. But now I think I'm ready to return to the scene with new chapters and I hope that you guys will give them a chance and let me know what you think.

**BLUE SUB: GAIDEN**

**Chapter 19: **_**"Found"**_

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna glanced around as she stood on the shore of the island. After everything that had happened to them, after all the hardships and dangers they had faced together- she still felt a strange sense of loss. Some people might be glad to reach the end of a long journey, but in this case- it did not inspire jubilation, but rather a bittersweet feeling in her.

She didn't know what would happen next. Once they found Cray's people… he might choose to stay there with them. She knew that this might be the resolution to this little story of theirs. But still, knowing this made it no less difficult. How could she so readily part with someone who had been so many things to her- friend, companion, lover?

The last word forced a smile on her lips and she looked up at the sky- gray and overcast. This was not the best weather for a homecoming, but she figured it could be much worse, all things considered. The boat was hulled up nearby and Janise was off somewhere looking around. Cray was probably exploring for something that might jog his memory.

Her hands were tucked into the pockets of her light gray coat and fiddled around with the random things in them. She'd swapped the coat out sometime before their incident with the _Legion_ on the 'island hidden in the mist'. It was mostly light gray- with the cuffs, pocket covers, elbow pads, and the upper sections of the collar being a dark brown collar.

The new red silk tie was tucked into her plaid vest and her familiar brown felt hat rested on her head while wild locks of pink-red hair fell down in bangs and down along her back. She smiled and the strange sideburn-like locks on her cheeks bristled slightly. She took a step back as a strange chill hit her. She turned in time to see Cray walking up to her.

The fox hybrid somehow seemed different to her in the last few days. When he walked and spoke, it all seemed more confident. He had changed alright and somehow during the confrontation on their last adventure… She blushed faintly, recalling how strong and masculine he had seemed to her when she was hurt and on the verge a breakdown. He had been her support then… and she would be his now.

Cray was barefoot again, and his pants were rolled up to keep the sand off of them. His white shirt hung open a little at the top, offering a view of the light sandy fur that ran along the front of him and down along the more intimate parts of his body. She savored his image as he stood before her, red tail twitching slightly and unruly blond locks shifting in the breeze. He smiled a smile that could melt her in a second.

A black furred hand ran through blond hair as he looked at her. "I keep looking for something to remind me… but nothing has happened so far." He admitted and rested his hands on his hips. "I had really expected that something more meaningful would be found here." He explained to Dianna and moved in closer to her, now standing beside her. He marveled at the strangely alluring beauty he saw in her.

She took his furry black hand in her smooth green one and looked at him with a smile. "Come on, let's go look further into this place." She offered enthusiastically. "After all, we've only really scratched the surface so far- there must be something here worth finding." She told him confidently.

He nodded and smiled at her affectionately. They moved hand in hand up the rise in the terrain, towards the unknown core of the island. Something powerful existed then between them- a strong bond that had blossomed. It was a deep unspoken love between them that had flourished amidst adversity.

**.o.o.o.**

Janise sat down in the grass and leaned back against a tree. She looked out past the shore to the horizon in the distance. She smiled, thinking back on what she'd been through recently- especially in the last few days!

Logically, she should have stayed with the people at the complex. That way, she'd be able to get back to the mainland sooner and be back in civilization. She snorted at the notion. Whatever might be back there wasn't important anymore. For the person she'd become, it meant nothing. That world was long gone in her mind. The only path for her now was the one that her new friends' side.

She was actually glad that she'd been caught up in that strange false world. Because of this, she'd met Dianna and Cray. The two of them not only saved her from the illusion, but gave her a chance to become something more than who she was… who she had been. Despite the dangers, she was glad to have become involved with them.

She crossed her arms behind her head and sighed in relaxation. She smiled and silently wondered when the others would be back and if they'd have anything of importance to tell her. She closed her eyes and fell into a state of half-sleep.

She was also aware of the implications of this excursion. She had some idea of how important the fox hybrid was to Dianna and knew that she would be devastated to loose him after all that they'd been through together. Somehow, she simply couldn't picture the three of them not being together.

Yet, at the same time, she also felt that Cray had become just as attached to Dianna as she was to him. It would be hard to think that he'd just leave them after all this time. She had gotten to know him a bit, and she realized that he seemed to almost be dreading finding his home just as much as he wanted to. After all, when you have no memory of something, how could it ever be as important as it once was- if at all…?

She grunted when she felt something poke her gently and mumbled a response- trying to imply annoyance. She felt another jab- this one a bit rougher- and opened her eyes. She turned to look to her side and found herself looking a strange figure- holding a spear in its hand and glaring down her from behind a large, garishly colored mask.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna squatted down on the ground, pushing up the brim of her hat as she looked down at the ground. She squinted slightly, discerning a trace of a footprint. "Cray, look at this." She spoke, looking over her shoulder as she stood back up.

The fox joined her at the green-skinned woman's side. He looked down at the ground, following her gaze. He smiled boyishly and looked at her. "What do you think this means, do you think we've found a trail?" He asked.

She reached over and cupped his chin with her hand and leaned forward to kiss his quickly before smiling back at him. "Yes, my love, I do." She replied and pointed off into the distance a ways. "It looks like it follows that path ahead." She spoke, pointing at a line through the foliage where the overgrowth seemed to be worn down.

She sighed briefly and then looked back at him. "We'd better go get Janise first." She began. "I'm sure she's ready to get moving again." Dianna added with a smile. The two of them then quickly set off towards the shore, Dianna gripping his furred hand softly as they walked.

Cray took a deep breath. He had been thinking about recent events and everything they'd been through and how'd they'd become so close over the last several weeks. In as much as his limited world view could understand, he knew that he'd fallen into a whirlwind romance with this unusual woman. "Dianna… I want to tell you something." The fox announced as they walked along. "It's important…"

She stopped and turned to face him. The two of them were standing beside a large tree that cast them in the shade. "Alright, what's on your mind?" She asked him, noting a slight unease in his posture, but remaining silent all the same.

She flushed when he took both of her hands in his and held them up as he looked her right in the eyes. She backed against the tree and let out a small 'eep' sound in the process. "Dianna… we've been through so much since I met you… I feel like I've known you my whole life some how." He paused, finding his words.

"Dianna… I," He paused, his cheeks feeling warm as he spoke. Dianna's smooth green skin flushed as he spoke; still holding her hands in his. "I want to be with you… I think I love you." He admitted, lifting her hands up and kissing them both. He then looked back at her.

Dianna's eyes started to water, as her cheeks flushed red. She tried to say something, but failed as tears began run down her cheeks. At that moment, Dianna lost it and tears began streaming down her face. "Oh god, Cray… I," She said, almost stumbling on the words. "I've fallen for you so bad that it hurts… I can't believe I'm crying over this at my age." She confessed. "I… love you too, Cray." She said with a smile as tears trickled down her cheeks. Cray leaned forward and kissed her on the lips…

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna held her hat in place as she ran down along the soft sand of the shoreline. Cray followed behind her as she moved. He 'caught' her around the waist and leaned against her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "You animal, can't you at least wait till we get back to the boat?" she asked, soft laughter escaping her lips.

Dianna put her hands over his, holding his palms on her hips, against the gray material of the coat she wore. Cray suddenly looked to the side, down along the coast. "Janise…" He muttered.

Dianna laughed at his words. "Oh no, you're right- she's gonna see us if we keep messing around." She replied light-heartedly. However, Cray was still quiet after she spoke. She turned to the side and followed his gaze. "…Janise?" She mouthed suddenly.

The two of them rushed over to where the open book lay face down in the sand. Cray picked it up and shook the sand off of it. "It looks like she was in a hurry…" He mused, looking at the book.

Dianna frowned, tracing fingertips over a nearby rock and then holding it up to eye-level. "Cray, we have a bigger problem…" She uttered. Cray rushed over to her and kneeled down beside her, looking at the blood on her fingers and then down at he blood smeared across it.

**(- End of Chapter 19 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

Special thanks to Carlos Angulo, The Toltec, QReaper, KuroKitune-Chan, and everyone else who supported me in the past.

I'm gonna try and update Restless Tides soon, so keep an eye out for new material from me.

Later,

-Bojack727


	20. Chapter 20: Eden

Sorry it took so long to update. I'm not even sure if anyone still follows my work anymore, but I intent to finish this story off. Again, thank you for your patience.

**.o.o.o.**

**BLUE SUB- GAIDEN**

**Part 20: Eden**

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna and Cray quickly navigated the trodden path through the lush green overgrowth. She pushed aside the greenery as she surveyed the area. "Yes, I'm sure of it- whoever took her came this way."

Cray looked at the large leaves around and vines hanging down. He placed his hand on the surface of a nearby tree and focused on it intently- beginning to feel a bit off. The red fox grimaced slightly from pangs of remembrance. "Dianna… there's something about this… something I can't quite remember." He said with a degree of difficulty as he turned to face her. Light rained down randomly about them, but the brim of her hat kept it off her face.

The green-skinned woman paused and turned around to look at him. "What are you saying? Are you starting to remember something?" She asked as she walked over to his side. "At last, it would seem your past is catching up with you." She spoke. "Cray?!" She exclaimed slightly, placing a hand on his shoulder to snap him out of his daze. He turned to look at her.

He looked at her with a mix of fondness and confusion. "It's not clear to me yet… but I've had a strange feeling about this place since we arrived… we have to keep going." He replied in a very restrained manner. "What's important now is that we find Janise."

**.o.o.o.**

Janise sat on the dusty floor of the small hut, across from the fox hybrid at the other end of the room. He looked a little older than Cray, with gray/brown fur and long hair. He was a little taller as well. The gray fox stared intently at her, as if expecting her to suddenly transform into some sort of mythical beast. "Damnit, if you've got something to say than say it." She exclaimed suddenly. "Can't you speak?!"

The door swung open and another hybrid, wearing a gray cloak, entered the room. Janise looked over at this one- he was older with graying reddish fur and white hair. He regarded her for a moment. "You're presence has created quite a commotion in our little village- we've never had a human here before… so it shouldn't be surprising that you were met with a degree of hostility."

Janise rose up to her feet. The younger fox was about to stand up, but the older one gestured to him and sat back down on the wooden bench he had been sitting on. "Certainly from a purely sociological standpoint… it's understandable." She replied. "Myself and the other two people I'm here with… we're no threat to you."

He nodded. "Yes… I'm sure that's true." He replied. "I am Solaran- the Elder of this village." He spoke, motioning at himself. He then gestured towards the other fox. "His name is Gilvend- a sentinel. And as such, he has taken a vow of silence as an act of devotion." He explained.

The young woman nodded politely. "Well… my name is Janise, and I'm here with two other people." She began. "One of them is a beast folk like you- named Cray. And the other is…" She paused. "Well, I suppose Dianna is also a hybrid as well." She continued after a moment. "She might be able to explain what I mean- she can tell it better."

Solaran turned away narrowed his eyes. "Young lady, you may be able to guess that we don't get much interaction with your kind." Her remarked. "All we want is to live in peace- yet wars are waged around us… races clash for survival." He mused. "This world does not lend itself well to a passive ideology."

The brunet nodded. "You're right, I guess the world is a pretty grim place when you think about it." She began. "I'd be lying if I claimed to have any sort of understanding of the bigger picture… but I do know one thing- the war ended and humans and hybrids are still around." She added, looking at Solaran as he turned to face her again. "We came here looking for the truth… for answers."

The fox hybrid regarded her words and thought for a moment. "Well, Janise, I hope that our truth is the truth that your friends seek." He said, offering a surprisingly friendly expression.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna looked down at the ground. "This soil looks more recently trodden upon... We must be getting close to wherever the abductors came from." She reasoned. She stuck her hands in her trouser pockets and turned to look over at Cray. She noticed that he seemed to be lost in thought again. "Cray, sweetie- what's bothering you?" She asked him.

He looked over at her. "I've been thinking about everything that's happened to us and I've come to a conclusion..." He explained. The fiery-haired woman turned around and listened to him intently. He took her hand in his and held it while he searched for his words.

"Dianna, once we get Janise back and we've sorted things out... well," He paused, trying to focus on the nervous expression on the green woman's face. "...I decided that I want to stay with you." He finished, looking at her intently. Suddenly, to Dianna, he seemed to strong and confident- like he'd finally found his place... "Dianna, I can't be the person I was... he's 'gone'. But the person I've become..." He paused for a moment.

"Dianna, I love you."

Dianna looked at him for a moment and covered her mouth with her free hand. She stepped back and whiped tears out of her eyes. "Oh Cray... I don't know what to say... I... we..." She stuttered.

It was strange- she was hearing the very words she had hoped for, yet she was unable to form a suitable reply. Perhaps sensing his confusion, she replied. "Oh Cray... just now, you've made me so happy." She said as more tears rolled down her cheeks unchecked. "B-but we have to get Janise back before we start planning our future."

"I love you, Cray."

She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward to kiss him- her hat pushing back as she moved in. Cray placed his hands on her waste and leaned into the kiss- his blond locks brushing against her bright reddish-pink ones.

**.o.o.o.**

Dianna looked around the village from her vantage point in the center, next to Cray. She frowned and smoothed out her gray coat, folding up her hat and putting into her hip pocket. "Please, come out- we mean you no harm." She called out, cupping her hands around her mouth as she spoke.

Cray glanced around the area, unsure of his surroundings. He took a step back, only to bump into something and turned around quickly. He jumped back at the sudden appearance of the other hybrid. "Dianna, look!" He exclaimed to her. She turned around and exchanged a look with the stranger as well.

The old fox nodded to the two of them. "Yes, I expect you'll be looking for that girl, aren't you?" He asked coolly. "I hope you aren't too disappointed at the lack of a reception, but most of the adults are out tending to their duties." He went on to explain. "The hunting party encountered the girl and brought her back here... she said you'd come." He added in a friendly tone.

Gradually, other hybrids- all foxes of various colors and age- became visible. While none of them seemed hostile, there was still a clear look of apprehension on their faces. The young ones seemed to stay close to their mothers, though it was clear that the universal sense of child-like curiosity urged them to come and check out the strangers.

Dianna slowly put herself at ease before the aging fox hybrid. She motioned for Cray to do the same before responding. "Yes, I'm sorry if we've disrupted anything important, but we were only looking around." She offered. "You must understand that we meant no disrespect by coming here." She continued.

"She's right, we were only exploring." Cray added. "I lost my memory... I'm not sure how exactly, but Dianna has been helping me try to find out where I came from." He continued with a degree of forced civility on his part. "Please tell me what ever you can." He asked. "There's so much missing... do you know me?" He asked in an imploring tone, taking a step towards the older hybrid. The larger gray fox seemed to be about to step in, but Solaran gestured to him and he backed off.

"Certainly," The old hybrid replied knowingly. "I'd never forget someone like you- the chances of a 'red' being born are uncommon enough, let alone one with blond hair and blue eyes." He added, resting his hands behind his back. "Yes my friend, you are Cray... or rather you were at some point." He continued in a cryptic tone. "Though, something is different- perhaps you've evolved." He reasoned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But that's just a theory..."

The two of them were silent for a moment as Cray considered what had just been said. It was true that he could never be the person that he once was, and it was also true that he had become a new person as result. And of course, there was the sense of finality that came from reaching the end of a long journey. But somehow, he had a feeling that the resolution of everything he had gone through was too simple... or perhaps his need for closure wanted a more compelling end to the journey... something more meaningful somehow.

A voice called out through the crowd and Janise rushed over to Dianna, hugging her tightly. She looked up at the green-skinned woman and smiled. "You're here; I just knew you guys would make it." She remarked happily. Dianna surprised herself with how comfortable she'd become with the girl… at some point, she must had gotten used to having the company as well as the tactile contact that came along with it.

Dianna smiled back at her shook her head. "Honestly, we I take my eyes off you for a moment and you disappear- you're just like Alice." She remarked jokingly, ruffling the smaller girl's hair in a motherly gesture that seemed to come almost reflexively.

The girl blushed faintly, realizing she'd run over to the older woman like a daughter to their mother. Being close to her just seemed so easy now- as if they were all family... though for Janise, perhaps the two of them were the closest thing to family for her. Janise looked over at Cray, who seemed to be deep in thought. "Yes, through the Rabbit Hole and into Wonderland, eh?" She remarked with a smile.

Solaran looked over at Cray with a serious expression. "I supposed now, the only question remaining- for you at least- is what will you do?"

**(- End of Part 20 -)**

**.o.o.o.**

The next chapter will be the last one for this particular story. Depending on how things pan out, I'll try and get started on Restless Tides next, that is if anyone still wants me to continue.

Later,

-Bojack727


End file.
